I Need A Hero
by scarletb123
Summary: Kurt Hummel is living in NYC, happily living out his dream of attending NYADA. But when an unexpected natural disaster hits, Kurt and a small group of friends and strangers must make their way through a devastated and dangerous city. Will the handsome stranger Blaine Anderson be able to lead them to safety? Or will turmoil within the group destroy what little chance they have?
1. Chapter 1

_**Kurt Hummel is living in NYC attending NYADA, with his best friend Rachel and his brother Finn living only blocks **__**away. His boyfriend Jason, who just recently moved in with him, is a kind and loving man, but is **__**known for often making bad decisions. When disaster strikes, Kurt's world is turned upside down as he **__**and his friends face danger and the elements in an attempt to maneuver thier way through a ruthless city. **__**Will the courageous but hot-headed stranger Blaine Anderson be able to lead them to safety?...Or will he ultimately **__**be their downfall?**_

* * *

Kurt buttoned his coat all the way up to cover himself from the cold, biting December wind that was blowing through. It was colder than he'd expected it to be that day, and he cursed himself for wearing such a light jacket. As he walked from his apartment to the subway station, he breathed in the crispness of the air, filling his lungs with sharp twinges. Growing up in Ohio, he was no stranger to the cold, but even for him today seemed more frigid than what he was used to.

He walked by the shops, glancing quickly at the Christmas decorations in the windows as he passed. He was excited about the holidays. He was finally going to get some well needed time off from college, and he and his boyfriend Jason had already finished buying the gifts for their families back in Ohio. Kurt couldn't wait to see his father and Carole again. Because of his participation in the NYADA's performing arts concert, he wasn't able to make it back home for Thanksgiving, and when his father called to complain about his absence, he made a solid promise to definitely be there for Christmas.

He jumped on the subway car headed uptown hoping he'd make it to class on time. He had a hectic schedule that day and one little glitch could through his time frame out the window, He hated days like these, where there was absolutely not a second to spare or a break to relax. Jason had already thrown him off enough this morning when he stepped into the shower behind him as he was washing his hair.

"Here." Jason said, reaching around him to grab the soap. "Let me get your back for you." Kurt rinsed his hair quickly, knowing what Jason had on his mind. The only time he'd ever joined him in the shower was when he was in the mood for, what he called, "a hot shower scene". Kurt usually didn't mind the interruption, but that morning he was pressed for time. "Jason." He giggled. "I don't have time for this. I've got a busy day ahead of me, and this is just going to mess up my schedule." Jason didn't pay much attention to what Kurt had to say about the matter. He ran the soap over Kurt's back and shoulders, then worked his way down, circling around his hips a few times before caressing his ass cheeks, reaching around with his other hand and running his fingers along Kurt's chest, lightly grazing his nipples as he passed. Kurt knew there was no fighting it, and very quickly his body responded as he leaned back against Jason's chest, letting him continue to rub his ass and chest. He let out a small gasp as he felt Jason slide the soap between his crack, spreading his legs slightly to encourage even more contact. "Hmm, you're not thinking too much about your silly schedule now, are you Kurt." Jason mumbled in his ear.

"Fuck my schedule." Kurt said as he turned and put his arms around Jason's neck, sealing their bodies flush together. "Drop the soap and fuck me Jason." He said, kissing him wildly as he slid their groins together, slowly moving his hips to grind their cocks. Jason moaned, clawing at Kurt's back as he shoved his tongue deep into Kurt's mouth, sucking fiercely when Kurt went for air, leaving his mouth wide open, inviting him to do as he pleased. He shoved Kurt against the shower wall and began sucking and nibbling on his neck as Kurt grabbed the back of Jason's head and let out a small moan. "Mmm, yeah." Kurt growled. "You gonna suck me before you fuck me Jason?" Jason continued kissing his neck, working over to his collarbone, then down to his chest. "You know I am baby. You know how much I love you in my mouth." He said, as he circled his tongue around one of Kurt's nipples, causing him to groan loudly. Kurt gripped Jason's hair tightly. "Well don't waste any time, get down there and work your magic," Kurt demanded playfully.

"Hello." A voice yelled from outside the bathroom. "Hello...Jason. Are you here? I stopped by to see if you needed a ride to work...Hello."

"Fuck Jason. What the hell is he doing here?" Kurt asked anxiously as he pushed Jason away and grabbed a towel. "I thought you were going to tell him I didn't want him hanging around you." He huffed, wrapping the towel around his waist and stepping out of the shower. "I told him Kurt. He's just here to give me a ride, don't get all huffy about it." Jason retorted. "Tell him I'll be out in a minute...Oh and Kurt." He added with a smirk. "Try to be nice."

Kurt walked out to find Sebastian Smythe lounging on their bed, waiting. Kurt didn't like Sebastian at all. He despised him from the minute Jason introduced them at the Halloween party Rachel and Finn had thrown a couple months ago. Rachel wanted to show off their nice, new apartment they'd just moved into, not too far from where Kurt and Jason lived. Jason wasn't thrilled about going, given the fact that he and Finn didn't get along too well, but Kurt convinced him to suck it up and do it just for him. "You love me don't you? You want to make me happy don't you?" Kurt had said in his baby voice that always worked on Jason, and it worked like a charm that time too.

They hadn't been at the party long when Kurt noticed a very tall, distinguished guy walk in. He had never seen him before, which was curious because he thought he knew all of Rachel and Finn's friends. It got even more curious when he saw Jason come around the corner and walk up to the stranger to shake his hand.

Kurt raised an eyebrow as he saw the two of them walking towards him. He noticed that the man was about the same height as Jason, but not as muscular or broad. Jason was a handsome man in a more rugged kind of way, whereas Sebastian just looked like a goofy stick figure, Kurt thought.

"Kurt."Jason said as they approached. "I'd like you to meet Sebastian Smythe." Sebastian held out his hand and Kurt reluctantly took it. He just met the guy and already he felt the need to wipe his hand after shaking his sweaty palms. "Sebastian and I work together...Well, actually he's more like my boss than my coworker." Jason nervously laughed.

"So, Kurt." Sebastian started. "Jason tells me you're enrolled at NYADA. That's pretty impressive. I mean, if you're into the ruthless world of show business that is." He said with a smirk.

Kurt thought it very clever to put a compliment with a slam, it's something that he himself was well known for doing, so he was just as comfortable throwing it back at him. "Yes, well it sure isn't as impressive as..." He paused as if to think. "Now what is it you do exactly?" He asked rhetorically. "That's right, you sell computers over the phone. That there is where the real ruthless world is." He said sarcastically. Jason cleared his throat, as if to remind Kurt that that's what he did for a living as well. "Oh, I-I mean it's a great job i'm sure." Kurt retracted, hoping to sooth his boyfriend's ego.

"Sebastian is new in town, so I asked Rachel if it was alright for me to invite him to the party, you know, so he could get out and mingle, meet new people." Jason said.

"Well, that was nice of you Jason." He said with a fake smile, then turned to Sebastian. "There's plenty of new people for you to meet here, feel free to go and mingle all you'd like."

"I think that's exactly what i'm going to do." Sebastian said, holding out his hand for Kurt to shake once more. "It's been such a pleasure meeting you."

Kurt again, reluctantly shook his hand as they both gave each other a leering look. From that day on the two would play word games, each trying to one-up the other in every conversation. Not that there were many conversations because Jason did a decent job at keeping them apart as much as possible. Kurt felt bad about putting Jason in such an awkward position with someone he worked with, someone who was only technically his boss, seeing Jason actually had more time with the company, but there was just no way of controlling it, when Sebastian came around, the barbs would just start flying.

Now, as he stood with a towel wrapped around him while Jason finished showering, he had no choice but to deal with him. "He'll be out in a minute." Kurt said bluntly. "And get your skanky ass off my bed." He demanded.

"Oh, stop being so cranky girly-boy." Sebastian said as he sat up on the edge of the bed. "You know, you could try being a little nicer to me." He reached over on the nightstand and picked up a phone that was on top and started playing with it.. "I am your boyfriend's boss, I would hate to see him lose his job because you refuse to play nice."

Kurt walked over and snatched the phone from his hands. "Give me that." He said angrily. "You're not going to fire Jason, he's the best employee you've got and you know it. Now stop with the idle threats and get out so I can get dressed."

"What? Are you ashamed to get dressed in front of me Kurt?" He said coyly. "Are you afraid I'll find out that you don't quite measure up? Or maybe..." He stood up and stepped in front of Kurt, running his index finger down his bare chest, stopping just above the towel line. "Maybe you're afraid if you get naked, you'd want me to get naked..." He stepped in closer, almost to Kurt's face, as he ran his finger along the towel. "And you'd find out Jason's the one who might not quite measure up."

Kurt stood for a second looking at the ignorant jerk, that, in his opinion, was doing nothing but making a fool out of himself. He almost felt sorry for the guy, he must not get laid much if he's coming on to someone he doesn't even like, Kurt thought. He pondered how to handle the situation, he definitely didn't want Sebastian walking out thinking he'd got the best of him.

Kurt grinned widely. "You know what Sebastian? I think you're right." He took a step back, put both hands on the towel, then ripped it off. "Why don't you take a look at this monster and tell me if it could satisfy Jason or not?"

He stood exposed as Sebastian quickly looked down, then back up at Kurt's face. He seemed to be at a loss for words. Kurt didn't believe it was because of the actual size of him, he was adequate, but not shockingly huge. Kurt knew his lack of words came from the mere fact that he had called him on his bluff, that Sebastian was set back by his forwardness. And to Kurt, that was a win.

"You giving Sebastian his own private show there Kurt?" Jason asked.

They both swung their heads around to find Jason standing at the bathroom door looking more than a little confused. Kurt scooped the towel up and held it in front of himself. "I-I...the towel fell." Kurt lied. "I was just telling Sebastian to get out so I could get dressed."

Sebastian chuckled and headed for the door. "Don't worry Jason, your little princess doesn't have anything i'm interested in...I'll be waiting in the car." He said. "Make it snappy, we're running late as it is." As he left he threw Kurt a quick wink and Kurt leered back at him.

"Why do you let him get to you, Kurt?" Jason asked, annoyed. "I told you, I just work with the guy...that's all. I really hate when your jealous side comes out. You were the same way with Tony, remember Tony? The guy that you ran out of town because you thought he sat too close to me at one of our office parties."

Kurt huffed. "I didn't run him out of town Jason, he got a promotion." He walked over and playfully swiped a lose hair from Jason's forehead. "Besides, he _was_ sitting too close, any closer and he would have been on your lap riding you." Kurt gave a sassy smile and went to get dressed, leaving Jason wondering if he would ever win an argument against Kurt.

As the subway roared on towards NYADA, Kurt recalled how Jason had kissed him tenderly as he walked out the door. "You be careful out there in the big bad city." Jason said, lovingly. "I want you back here in one piece so I can finish what I started in the shower."

Now, sitting alone in a cold damp subway, Kurt couldn't help but picture just exactly what he and Jason would be doing once he made it home...But first he had to make it through the day, he thought, shaking himself out of his daydream. There was a lot to get done in a short period of time, and the first thing he had to do was find Rachel.

* * *

_In a small police station, Finn Hudson stood at attention in front of the chief of police. He'd waited for this day for so long, all the long hours spent studying for the exams at the police academy, the endless overnight shifts riding shotgun as a rookie in training, and of course the constant ribbing he got from the higher-ups, had all came down to this moment._

_The chief stood in front of him. "Finn Hudson" He said with authority. "Welcome to precinct 12." He handed him a badge and Finn stared at it in disbelief. He'd done it, he thought to himself, he'd made something of himself, despite his own doubts. With the love and support of Rachel and his family, even Kurt, who had helped him study numerous times when he was nervous about an upcoming test, he'd made it through the academy and now was about to become an actual cop. He smiled his cocky half smile when the chief handed him his firearm. He'd carried one when he was a rookie, but now as he held the metal in his hand, it felt more real, more powerful._

_The chief gave him a congradulatory pat on the back, then he was off. His first order of official business...Find Rachel and tell her how much he loved her for sticking by him._


	2. Chapter 2

"Come on Rachel, just do this one favor for me, please." Kurt begged as they quickly made their way to their first class of the day.

"No, Kurt. I'm not going to do it." She walked faster, trying to lose him.

Kurt hurried to keep up with her. "Look, you do this for me, and I'll owe you a hundred favors, anything you want. I'll even come over and give that mangy mutt of yours a bath...Please Rachel, please."

She stopped just outside the classroom and turned to him. "Fine I'll do it." She suddenly looked serious. "But you have to do something for me." She said, as she dragged him over to the side of the hallway for privacy. "I need you to talk to Finn for me...I need you to convince him to quit the force."

Kurt was set back. He had no idea that Rachel was against Finn joining the force, in fact, she always seemed to support him and encourage him. "Well..Um, isn't it a bit late now Rachel? Isn't he like getting crowned or pinned or whatever they do to you when you become a cop?"

"Yes" She replied. "I expect to see him running in here any minute all happy and proud of himself, and I just can't have that Kurt, I can't let Finn be a cop."

"So, you don't want him to be happy and proud? What are you aiming for here Rachel, hmm? Would you prefer sad or depressed or maybe a little self loathing? When you decide which one, be sure to let me know so I can help you accomplish that." Kurt said sarcastically.

"No, you know that's not what I mean." She lightly hit him on the arm. "I just decided that being a police officer was way too dangerous. He needs to do something safer...like delivering mail or...or being a street sweeper. You know something where he's not going to get shot at all the time."

"Rachel." Kurt said curiously. "What did you think was going to happen when Finn graduated from the academy? I mean, he was studying to be a cop, so why all of a sudden is this a problem for you."

"Okay," She said quietly. "Promise you won't ever repeat this, but...I kind of thought they'd take one look at Finn and put him behind a desk or something, or maybe make him a meter maid."

"Do they still have those?" Kurt questioned.

"You're missing the point here Kurt. I cannot have the future father of my children going around putting himself in danger everyday. I can't handle that kind of stress. You know what stress does to the face...I'll get wrinkles and look old by the time i'm twenty eight. Who's going to hire me then Kurt? Who's going to hire an ugly old actress with a kid who's father was a cop until he came across a drug deal gone wrong and...and.." She started to sound hysterical.

"Okay, Okay Rachel, calm down." Kurt said, putting his arm around her. "First of all, you've been watching way too many cop shows, and second..." He faced her, putting his hands on both her arms and gently rubbing. "Rachel." He said seriously. "This is something Finn really, really wants. Since he started at the academy I've never seen him more alive, more focused. I think you're just going to have to accept that this is his calling, and let it be."

"So, what you're saying is that you won't talk to him." She said, brushing his hands away. "Then tell me Kurt, why would I do a favor for you?"

"Because you're my friend and you love me." He said with a huge smile.

She sighed, then rolled her eyes. "You know I can't resist those dimples." She reached in her pocket and took out her phone. "Hello." She said with a strange southern accent. "Hello Mr. Calloway?" The voice on the other end answered. "Yes, this is Mr. Calloway. How can I help you?" Rachel continued. "Well, Mr Calloway, this is Denise down at animal control, I believe we have you're poodle Jasper here with us, it seems he jumped the fence and ran loose...We picked him up over on firth street. We'd really appreciate if you'd come immediately to retrieve him sir." Kurt couldn't help but let out a giggle listening to her bullshit his professor. "Oh." The voice said. "Yes, yes, of course...I'll be right there." Rachel almost blew it by giggling herself. "Oh, and Mr Calloway...It's very important you be a more conscientious pet owner, Jasper could have been seriously hurt or even dog napped." Kurt turned away and covered his mouth to hold back the laughter.

She pressed end. "You owe me one Kurt. Now your second class will be free as Mr. Calloway argues with animal control about the whereabouts of his precious poodle...How'd you even know he has a poodle?" She asked curiously.

"I used to walk his dog for some extra cash." He said as they walked into their first class together. "And let me tell you, that poodle is a real bitch."

Kurt sat mindlessly through the class. He'd found himself easily distracted lately and he hoped that, thanks to Rachel's brilliant acting skills, the extra hour he'd have to relax in the library would be enough to clear his mind and help him concentrate on the rest of the day. He had an audition in a few hours that was stressing him out, even though he felt he was well prepared, these things often didn't go as planned. When the professor finally dismissed them, Kurt bolted out without even saying goodbye to Rachel.

The library was virtually empty, but for just a few professors and a couple of students. Kurt notice Mrs. Langley, the librarian, sitting behind her desk with her nose in a book, pretending to read as she dosed, like she always did. Kurt loved it in the library. It was always so peaceful and clean, sometimes he would sit there for hours without realizing how much time had passed. He sat at a table in the far right corner next to a window and opened his text book, clearing his mind and trying to focus on the page in front of him.

He'd only gotten one paragraph in when there was a loud bang from across the room. Everyone looked over and eyed the noisy culprit like he was a criminal who'd broken the most serious of library laws, _'Thou shalt not make noise of any kind while visiting the library'. _Kurt looked up to see who the culprit was himself, but all he saw was the back of the guys head as he fumbled to pick up the book he'd dropped. 'That's quite a set of curls that dudes got', Kurt thought to himself, then went back to his reading.

"Excuse me, um hi. Can I ask you a question? I'm new here." Kurt heard a soft spoken voice coming from beside him. He looked up to find a dashingly handsome man standing there. Kurt thought he might actually be one of the best looking guys he's seen at this school. He was on the shorter side, but he made up for it with his toned body and devilishly piercing eyes. When he blinked, Kurt noticed the length and sheer volume of his eyelashes were incredible. _'And what is with that smile?'_ Kurt thought to himself. _'Is that even real?'_ Kurt didn't think he'd even been this smitten by somebodies looks alone. He knew absolutely nothing about this guy, but he already was portraying him as some Greek god.

Kurt's face turned a bit red when he suddenly realized he'd been staring at him without saying anything in response. "Hi, i'm Kurt." He said politely, motioning for him to sit in the chair next to him.

"Blaine." He said as he pulled the chair out and sat. "I'm Blaine. I just started here a week ago and I still don't know my way around that well yet. I need to find Professor Calloway's room, I was suppose to be there by now, and being late on my first day of his class probably isn't going to go over very well."

Kurt smiled at him, finding it hard not to stare at those eyelashes. "I don't think that will be a problem, Professor Calloway isn't here right now, his class has been canceled."

"Oh." Blaine said, relieved. "That's great. That's one less thing for me to worry about today."

They sat in silence for a moment, both seeming a little nervous around each other. Kurt couldn't understand why he felt that way, he wasn't one to get nervous around people very often, but there was just something about this guy that made him feel...antsy.

"How long have you gone here?" Blaine asked quietly, sure not to disturb the others.

"I just started my second year. I'm on the Dean's list." Kurt said, not sure why he was trying to brag to this guy. "I-I mean i'm available if you ever need a tutor or, you know..." Kurt trailed off, a bit embarrassed.

"Oh, yeah." Blaine replied enthusiastically. "I'm probably going to need one of those, i'm not the best student. I mean, i'm not dumb or anything..." And then Blaine trailed off, leaving it silent once again.

"Well," Blaine said as he stood up. "I should probably let you get back to your studying. Thanks a lot for your help. Maybe we'll run into each other again and talk about that tutoring thing."

"No problem." Kurt said, not really wanting this stranger to leave. "If you ever need directions again or you know, help finding you way around campus, just let me know." He gave a smile, intentionally trying to show his dimples. 'Fuck, i'm actually trying to flirt with this guy', Kurt thought to himself. 'And i'm doing a really horrible job at it'.

"Yeah, sure." Blaine said turning around to leave. "Thanks again." Then just a quickly as he'd appeared, he was gone.

Kurt sat and reflected for a minute. Since him and Jason started seeing each other eight months ago, he'd never even considered flirting with another guy. And after Jason moved in with him a month ago, he'd been even more couscous of his flirty ways, not wanting Jason to be insecure about any of the guys he hung around with, not that there were many. For some reason when that curly haired stranger came up to him, he'd broken his own no-flirt code and went for it. He sighed deep and went back to reading. It didn't really matter anyway, he thought, the guy was obviously not interested, maybe he wasn't even gay, although Kurt was almost certain he was.

He felt the phone in his pocket vibrate and pulled it out.

Jason Text: _(10:14am)_

_How's your day going so far? I'm at the coffee shop getting a decaf. call me when you get a chance...Miss U ;)_

Kurt Text_: (10:15am)_

_My day has been...interesting! I'll try to call soon. Miss U 2 ;)_

He set the phone on the table and continued to read, wondering if he was going to get any studying done at all during this break. He was trying to concentrate on the second paragraph when the phone on the table started sliding, he picked it up to see if there was a message, but there was none. He set it back down and, again, tried to go back to his reading, only to see the phone start shaking and sliding once again. He stared at it for a second, trying to wrap his mind around any reason his phone might be behaving that way, but the longer he pondered, the more shaking the phone did. Then he felt the floor beneath his feet seem to rumble, as if there were a stampede about to approach. He looked up to see that the others were looking just as miffed as he was about what they were seeing, and what they were feeling.

The table started to shake slightly, just enough to jar it. Kurt grabbed onto the edge, thinking he could stop it, but it began rapidly shaking in his hands. He let it go and stood up, still not sure what was happening around him. He looked over to see a cart with books on it fall over, causing a loud thud. The floor was rolling under his feet now, and he found it difficult to keep his balance. He attempted to walk around the table to get to the others in the library, but he went down on one knee. He heard the books begin to fall from the shelves, and the sound of wood cracking, then glass breaking. It finally hit him what was happening, although he couldn't believe it. New York doesn't have earthquakes, at least none that he was aware of.

He remembered being taught to get under a desk during a disaster, but he couldn't remember whether earthquakes were covered in that particular lesson. There really wasn't much else he could do, so he crawled beneath the shaky table and held his breath. He wasn't as much scared as he was shocked. _'This certainly wasn't on the schedule for today',_he laughed to himself. But his laughter was short lived as the real nightmare of what was happening became all the more frightening. He heard things start crashing onto the table above him as the it began to snap and give way. He had one final thought as the weight of the table fell on him..._'I can't believe i'm going to die in a fucking earthquake'._


	3. Chapter 3

The noise was thunderous as he covered his head, trying to protect himself from the things falling around him, falling on top of him. He felt something jab into his thigh, and he winced from the pain. It all seemed to happen in slow motion, but in reality is was over in just seconds. Fortunately, the table he'd crawled under had given him more protection than he thought it would. He was wedged under it, pinned beneath and surrounded by various other debris. All he could see was a beam of soft light coming from just above him on the right. The roar and crashing of the quake now left an eerie silence, and all he heard was the beating of his own heart. He chuckled to himself thinking that it was a good sign that he had a heart beat at all.

He'd survived the quake, but now he needed to find a way out. He felt around with his hands trying to move anything that would budge, but when he shoved a piece of wood from near the light, he heard the things above him shift, creaking ominously as a warning of potential collapse. There was just enough room for him to maneuver his body to sit up, cringing as he felt the pain in his thigh again. He gently rubbed it to assess the damage. There didn't seem to be any blood, and no bones felt broken. He thought probably it was just badly bruised. But the problem still remained, how was he going to get out from under this mess?

He tried to quiet his own breathing in hopes of hearing someone, anyone. The silence was almost deafening. He began to think about the other people who were in the library at the time of the quake. Where were they? Had they gone to get more help? Then the fear sank in as it occurred to him that possibly they were dead. He thought about Mrs Langley, the old librarian, he thought about the professors and other students that were there at the time. Then his mind went to the good looking stranger he'd met just minutes before disaster struck. Had he been killed? He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. _'Poor guy.'_ he thought. _'He seemed really nice too'._

"Hey...Hey...is anyone here?...Hello." Kurt opened his eyes. He could hear the voice faintly coming through the small slit that divided him from the outside world. "Hello." The voice echoed. "Can anyone hear me?" Kurt heard rustling above him as if someone were walking and moving things as they shuffled along.

"Hello...Hello!" Kurt yelled as loud as he could, dust particles flying in his mouth as he did, causing him to cough and gag a bit. "I'm down here." He gurgled out.

Kurt could hear the movement above him getting louder and closer. He wasn't sure if they had heard him, so he yelled out again. "I'm down here...Can you hear me?"

Kurt heard something drag, like mental on wood, scraping along slowly, then a loud thud. As he looked he could see the beam of light was bigger, wider.

"Hello...Are you down there? Can you hear me?" The voice bellowed.

"Yes, yes, i'm here." Kurt called excitedly.

"Okay, okay...hold on." The voice said anxiously. "I'm going to try and move some stuff so I can get to you."

Once again Kurt could here dragging and banging as they hurried to free him. He heard a loud crunch, "Fuck" the voice yelled, as if in pain.

"Are you alright?" Kurt questioned, not knowing what had happened.

"Yeah, yeah...i'm okay...There's a lot of shit up here and i'm going as fast as I can. I'm afraid the whole pile might fall on you if I move it too much...I-I don't want to kill you." The voice said shakily.

Kurt thought about the situation. There was a chance he could all of a sudden get crushed by whatever it was up there, but there was no way he wanted to spend one more minute down in that dark, cramped, crevice.

"Do what you have to." He yelled. "I can't stay down here forever." He said, almost laughing. "But try to be careful." He added.

For a minute Kurt didn't hear anything and feared maybe they'd left, not wanting to be bothered with this problem. He breathed a sigh of relieve when he finally heard things above him moving again. Every time something was moved he heard the creak of the boards as if they were ready to give out at any moment. He held his breath several times when he saw part of his shelter starting to sink down, drawing closer to his legs with each shift. With one final heave from above, the table and debris that were sheltering him, became his menace. He saw it coming down, all of it, and he knew that this was it, this was the end. He was going to be crushed to death, never to see his father or his friends or Jason ever again. He closed his eyes and waited for his fate.

He felt the hands grab him and yank him up, but his mind was still centered on the sound and sight of the things caving in around him. When he opened his eyes, he found that he was no longer trapped. He was lying on the ground on his back, looking up at the man who had saved him. The light was dim, but there was no mistaken those curly locks and sharp smile.

"Phew" Blaine said, exhausted. "That was a close call." He was breathing fairly heavy from exertion as he sat down next to Kurt and wrapped his arms around his knees. "Fuck, I almost killed you, Kurt!"

Kurt could see the sheer terror in him as he watched Blaine begin to rock back and forth. The ordeal had obviously taken a toll on him, both physically and mentally. Kurt realized that as difficult as it was for him down in that hole, it would be much worse being the one trying to save him, without actually killing him in the process. Having someone else's life in your hands would be one of the most terrifying things he could think of.

Kurt wanted to make light of it, comfort the guys fears and make him realize that he, in fact, had saved him, and hadn't sent him to an early grave."Well, almost doesn't count." Kurt said with a smile. "You saved me just in the nick of time. I swear..." He said as he slowly sat up to face his rescuer. "They should make a movie about how you saved me...They could call it something like 'When books attack, Blaine's got your back'." They both chuckled.

"Or how about...'When the earth shakes, Blaine's got what it takes'." Blaine said jokingly. "But I insist Jake Gyllenhaal play me."

Kurt looked at him curiously. "Really? Jake Gyllenhall?...I don't know, he might be too old. I think maybe someone like..." He put his hand to his chin and pondered. "I think Ryan Gosling would be a good choice."

Blaine snickered. "Okay buddy. I think i'm going to have to check you for a head injury, 'cause that's just crazy talk."

Kurt laughed. "I don't have a head injury...but you know, it would probably make more sense if you just played the part yourself. I mean, you are a performer."

"I'm a theater performer." Blaine said, as he stood up. "I could never see myself as a movie actor." He put his hand out for Kurt to grab onto to pull himself up." Kurt grabbed it and started to work his way up, moaning quietly when he put pressure on his right thigh.

"Whoa...Hey. Are you hurt?" Blaine asked worriedly.

"Oh, it's not that bad." Kurt said as he attempted to stand up straight. "I think it's just bruised. I probably just need to walk it off."

As Kurt stood, he got his first look around at what had become of the library he'd been sitting in just a short time ago. What he saw was nothing but a bunch of rubble and dust. There was hardly anything even recognizable, and part of the wall to the outside had collapsed entirely. He couldn't have imagined the devastation when he was in his small confined part of the ruins, but now as he got a good look at exactly what had occurred, he was faced with the reality that this wasn't just some minor event, this was major... this was catastrophic.

He swallowed a lump in his throat that he was sure was filled with fear and dread. For a moment he almost wanted to crawl back down in that hole, and never lay eyes on the things he was seeing. He especially didn't want to see the body of Mrs. Langley slumped over, blood running from her head. He wanted to run to her, to do something for her, but in the pit of his stomach he knew there was nothing he could do for her, nothing anyone could do for her. He felt tears swell in his eyes as the gravity of what he was about to have to deal with, what they all would have to deal with, overwhelmed him.

Blaine noticed Kurt's reaction to their changed surroundings. He had the same reaction when he'd first climbed out of the rubble and faced the horror. As he made his way over the piles of debris in search of anyone else who might have survived, he'd come across several dead bodies. He had feared that he was the only one left alive...in that library anyways. He'd heard sirens at one point, and his mind tried to picture what it must be like out there, if it was this bad in here.

Kurt and Blaine looked at each other with a sense of acknowledgment and understanding that they were both going to need to be prepared...for hell on earth.


	4. Chapter 4

Kurt and Blaine searched the library, only to find they sadly were the only ones who'd survived. They took a moment to respectfully mourn the dead, bowing their heads as Blaine said a quick prayer. They both knew that as they ventured outside, it would only get worse. They heard people shouting, and what sounded like car alarms going off, but everything seemed to be in the distance, far from the pile of wreckage they stood in. Kurt found a chair that was intact, and sat to reflect. He had no idea the fate of the others beyond these walls. What horrors were they facing at that moment? Was there someone beside them like Blaine to help ease their fear? Or were they all alone, buried liked he had been, scared and in pain? He thought of Rachel, was she hurt? Or even worse...was she dead? Then his mind flashed to Jason. The last he'd heard, Jason had said he was at the coffee shop. He jumped up and ran over to Blaine.

"Do you have your phone?" Kurt asked. "I don't have mine anymore."

Blaine looked at him with regret. "I'm sorry, I don't own a cell phone." He said.

It quickly ran through Kurt's mind that it was odd that someone wouldn't own a cell phone."We have to go find Rachel...my friend Rachel and...and Jason, we have to find him too." Kurt said anxiously, grabbing Blaine's arm.

"Okay, calm down Kurt." Blaine said, grabbing Kurt's shoulders to calm him. "This Rachel...where do you think she is?"

Kurt thought for a moment. He remembered she usually had dance class at this time, so he started walking towards the only possible exit from the room, a hole in the wall to the outside. He knew all he would have to do is circle around to the back and that's where the dance studio was, _'that's where it should be', _he thought to himself as he picked up the pace.

"Wait!" Blaine said, following after him. "Okay, we'll go find your friend...but after we find her, will you help me find my roommate Wes? He should be on campus somewhere." He said breathlessly as he tried to keep up with Kurt.

Kurt slowed down. "Yes, yes...of course I'll help you." He said, as they walked through the wall to the outside.

They stood in awe as they witnessed the destruction that was once a beautiful college campus. As far as Kurt could tell, there wasn't a single building that didn't have some sort of damage, most of them looked totally collapsed. He could smell smoke coming from somewhere, but he didn't see any fire. There were a few people walking aimlessly about, calling out their friends names in hope of getting a response. They looked dazed and confused, and Kurt wondered if that's how he looked to them as they glanced blankly at him, disappointed he wasn't who they were looking for.

"Come on." Kurt said, gripping Blaine's sleeve and dragging him along. "She should be right around this corner."

As they made their way, they heard something that sounded like a big explosion come from not too far away. They looked uneasily at each other, then carefully proceeded around the corner. The studio looked fairly intact, bar a small collapse on one side that to Kurt, looked survivable. He let out a sigh of relief. He felt confident that if Rachel was in there, she would probably be unharmed.

They heard someone scream to the left of them, as a short slender girl came running towards them. "Help...help me please." She pleaded as she approached them. "My...my boyfriend...he's trapped...I-I can't get him out." She was frantic and near tears, covered with dust, with a small amount of blood running down her cheek. "Please...I need help." She begged.

Blaine looked over at Kurt. "You go find your friend. I'm going to see what I can do for her...I'll meet you back here when i'm done." Blaine said as he put his arm around the hysterical girl and walked off.

Kurt wasn't happy to be left alone, but he was glad Blaine had went to help the poor girl. His anxiety rose as he headed toward the door of the studio. He wasn't positive Rachel would even be in there, but he was hoping she was. Scanning the sight of the other buildings around him, he felt Rachel would have had the best chance to survive in the dance studio. The door was ajar, so he pushed it open, feeling just a bit of resistance from debris that had fallen behind it.

"Hey." He yelled out. "Is anyone here?"

"Oh my god, Kurt." Rachel shouted as she ran up to him and swung her arms tightly around his neck. "I was so afraid you were..." She trailed off, not wanting to say the word.

Kurt hugged her back. "Thank god you're alright." He said joyfully. "I thought maybe you were..." He couldn't finish either. They looked at each other with a slight smile, relief pouring out of them.

"No earthquake could ever bring down Kurt Hummel." He heard a gruff voice say from behind him say.

He turned around to find Finn smiling his crooked smile as he stood in the door of the studio. "Finn!" Kurt said happily. "Looks like the quake left your freakishly tall body in one piece as well." He walked over and gave him a half hug, as Finn patted him on the back.

"I was here in the studio with Rachel when it hit. I-I couldn't believe what was happening. When it finally stopped, I decided to go see if anyone needed help." He paused and looked down at the floor solemnly. "It's...It's bad out there Rach...there's people all over the place and...and there's a lot of people.." He swallowed hard. "There's a lot of people who didn't make it."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Rachel said. "But...but we survived, the three of us...that's what's important to me now."

"I have to find Jason." Kurt blurted out. "Rachel, give me your phone...I need to call him." He said frantically.

"It won't work Kurt." Finn said. "None of the phones work. There's no way to communicate with anyone."

Kurt shook his head. "There must be a way...I have to get a hold of him. I have to make sure he's alright."

"I've tried Kurt." Finn said. "From what I hear, the communications system is down all over the city... Where is he, Kurt? We're gonna have to walk to wherever he is, there's no transportation either, driving is impossible...The streets are cluttered with debris and jammed with cars. The subway system has stopped too."

Kurt didn't want to believe anything Finn was saying to him. With every second that had passed, the situation he was placed in became more and more frightening. Now all he could think about was Jason, out there in a city that was in complete chaos.

"He said he was at the coffee shop" Kurt said, trying to deny his own fear. "I'm sure he's alright. I just need to go find him."

"Then that's what we should go do." Blaine said from behind them.

Kurt turned, surprised and thankful to see that Blaine had actually came back. He looked at his new friend as he stood with the sunlight bouncing around him, giving him an aura that surrounded him, making him look even more enchanting.

"Blaine." Kurt said stunned. "I-I'm glad you came back. I found Rachel." He put his arm around her. "And this is my brother Finn." He pointed to Finn and Blaine reached out to shake his hand.

"Nice to meet you Finn and Rachel." He said with a smile. "I'm glad to see you're both unharmed. Kurt was a basket case trying to find you."

"Well, I wasn't a basket case." Kurt said shyly. "I was just a little anxious, that's all." Kurt thought for a moment. "I'm anxious to find Jason too, but I promised I'd help you find your friend Wes...I think we should go do that first."

'I'm not exactly sure where he is." Blaine stated. "But he couldn't be too far. I really could use some help trying to find him." He paused and looked at them with understanding. "But I don't want you to feel like you have too. I know you all have people you'd like to go find."

"No." Finn said without hesitation. "I've been out there...I think it would be a good idea if we all stick together. No one should be out there alone...it's not safe."

They all looked at each other knowing that Finn was probably right. In a city that depended heavily on communication and transportation, there was no predicting how people were going to react, or behave, when their world was suddenly turned into what looked to be a war zone. As they headed out to look for Blaine's friend Wes, none of them could have imagined what lie ahead.

* * *

_In a shattered coffee shop not far from Kurt's campus, his boyfriend sat on a stool in the back office, one of the only spaces to have stayed intact. He'd survived the quake, along with a few other patrons, when they were able to make it to the office before the whole coffee shop imploded. He was in shook as the others discussed their next move, most deciding to venture out to find their loved ones. He knew he had to collect himself and do the same. He had to find Kurt, praying that when he did find him, he'd still be alive. He was glad that he wouldn't have to go searching alone. He looked over and nodded his head, giving Sebastian permission to lead him out. _


	5. Chapter 5

The four of them made their way around the campus, helping as much as they could, searching for Blaine's friend Wes. They did their best to keep it together as they took in the death and destruction surrounding them, focusing on the living and the injured. The injuries varied from minor lacerations to broken bones. There was an elderly man that a group of students had worked feverishly to dig out of the rubble, only to have him die within minutes of rescue. There was a heart breaking scene at every turn, and Finn worried that Rachel wouldn't be able to handle much more of it.

"Dude." Finn said to Blaine as they carefully carried an injured professor to a safe area that was quickly set up on campus. "We're gonna need to find your friend soon...I think Rachel's on the verge of losing it."

Blaine looked over at Rachel, who was helping a young girl who was having trouble walking. He could see the stress on her face as she bravely tried to hide her exhaustion. "Okay, let's get this guy to safety, then we'll head to the last building to see if he's there...if he's not there.." Blaine paused, considering their options. "I guess we'll go try and find Kurt's friend." He hated the thought of leaving Wes behind. They had only known each other a short time, but they bonded quickly after Blaine answered a _'roommate wanted ad'_ and met him. Wes was one of the best listeners Blaine had ever come across, and he'd spent long hours talking to him about his hopes and dreams for the future, and his disappointments of his past.

Kurt wasn't looking all too well either, Blaine thought, as he spied him limping in front of them, attempting to help a guy who had a pretty good size cut on his arm. The sight of the blood made Kurt's skin turn even paler than it already was, and Blaine feared he might actually pass out from the sight of it. Despite his reaction to blood, Kurt managed to stay focused and helpful, and Blaine couldn't help but be impressed. It was obvious the ordeal was taking it's toll on him, but he pushed through it and did what had to be done. Not something Blaine would have expected from the somewhat prissy and fragile guy he'd met in the library before the quake. Blaine smiled to himself as he recalled the smile Kurt had given him as he'd walked away. _'Are those dimples for real?' _He'd thought to himself. Now, as they dropped off their victims and headed toward the last building in hope of finding Wes, Blaine wondered if he'd ever see those dimples on Kurt's face again.

"Wes!" Blaine yelled when he spotted him coming out of the building. They all ran over to him, happy to know that he was alive. They didn't know the guy, but with the loss they were all feeling after seeing so much suffering and death, finding Blaine's friend alive and uninjured felt like a victory of sorts.

"Blaine Anderson!" Wes cried back. "It's good to see you in one piece." He looked curiously at the others. "And I see you've bought a posse along with you...That's smart new kid." He said, placing his hand on Blaine's shoulder. "Safety in numbers. Right?" He said, coughing up some dust that had settled in his lungs.

Blaine introduced the group and they all said their hellos, trying to seem as optimistic as they could. Blaine tossed his head toward the building they were standing in front of. "Anyone in there?" He asked Wes, hoping he'd say there were survivors.

"There were a few of us who made it." He said grimly. "Someone came along and told us about the safe area they'd set up, so that's where i'm headed now. Are you guys headed there too?" He asked.

"No." Kurt said quickly. "We're headed off campus...downtown, to find Jason."

"Really." Wes replied, rather surprised. "I hear things are pretty crazy down that way...It could be a little dangerous. Maybe it would be better if you all stayed here."

"We're going." Kurt said sharply. "Or at least I am...The rest of you should probably stay here. Wes is right, it might be too dangerous."

Finn chuckled. "There's no way i'm letting you go out there by yourself Kurt. Even if I wanted too, the quake would be nothing compared to the wrath I'd get from your father if he found out."

They all let out a short laugh. "That's true." Kurt joked. "And your mother would probably be just as bad...It's obvious she likes me more than she likes you."

"That's just because you always know what to buy her for her birthday, and Christmas." Finn said laughing.

Kurt got serious. "Is it so hard to pick out a decent perfume, Finn? Or a nice scarf? The woman doesn't need anymore toasters or slippers."

They all let out a collective laugh, all feeling some off the stress of the day melt away. Just for that brief moment they let themselves forget the hell they were in and pretend it was any other normal day.

"Well" Wes said, breaking the laughter. "Like I said, safety in numbers, so if your headed downtown, that's were i'm heading. Besides, none of you are gonna want to have to listen to Blaine run his mouth the whole way...The guy never shuts up." He joked.

Again they laughed, as they started off toward the danger zone. Finn walked with his arm around Rachel, doing his best to comfort her as they blindly walked on. Wes and Blaine led the way, and as Wes had predicted, Blaine really never did shut up. Kurt could tell his chatter was just from nerves and adrenaline., and he actually found it rather endearing and even comforting. His mind kept going back to Jason, wondering what fate his boyfriend had endured. He didn't want to think of the many possibilities of what could have happened to him, but the morbid thoughts continued to flash. Jason under a pile of rubble, Jason lying dead in the streets, Jason crying out for help from a cold blocked in room. He closed his eyes as he limped along, lagging behind the others. If it weren't for Blaine rambling on about the weather, he thought he actually might have lost his mind.

Kurt looked to the sky. With the rush they had felt through the day, none of them had noticed that the temperature was dropping. Kurt was still wearing the light jacket he'd put on that morning, but he noticed that other than he and Finn, none of them were wearing appropriate clothing for this kind of weather. And as he looked up at the clouds, Kurt worried that he was sure he was seeing storm clouds. He didn't mention it, hoping the clouds would leave without dumping any precipitation. Science class had taught him that it was possible. Still, Kurt thought as they headed for the coffee shop, for Jason, if they didn't get to a warm place soon, the cold temperature could be a problem.

* * *

_"You know Sebastian." Jason said as they made their way toward the campus. "We really should be stopping to help some of these people."_

_Sebastian grunted. "Do you wanted to make it to your snotty little boyfriend or not, Jason?" He stopped and looked around. "Do you see these people Jason? Most of them will cut you for the shirt off your back if you're not careful. And let me tell you, it's only going to get worse when it gets dark out." He looked up. "And according to the clouds, it's probably going to be sooner rather than later." They started walking again. "So, Mr Good-Guy, take your super-hero cape off and follow me."_

_Jason knew that to a certain extent, Sebastian was right. But as he passed by the injured people and heard their pleas for help, his instinct told him to stop. Every time he'd try, Sebastian would drag him away from the faces of the helpless, looking to him for mercy. He wiped their faces out of his mind by trying to focus on Kurt. His gut was telling him that Kurt was alive, and was waiting for him to come and be by his side, to help him cope with this disaster. So he did as Sebastian told him, weaving in and out of buildings and back alleys, trying to avoid the fires and the looting and the occasional gunfire they'd hear in the distance. It was a dangerous place, and Jason wanted nothing more than to find Kurt and get the hell out of the city._


	6. Chapter 6

"You look like you could use a rest." Blaine said, turning back to check on Kurt. They'd walked quite a while and he noticed Kurt's limp was getting worse. He waited for Kurt to catch up, then put his arm around him to help steady him. "Wes says he has a friend that lives right down the block. We're gonna stop and see if she's there...and you can rest your leg for a while."

Kurt didn't say anything, he just hobbled along the best he could. Blaine was right, his thigh was aching badly and it was getting harder and harder to push past the pain. He didn't want to stop, he wanted to continue on until they found Jason, but there wasn't just him to think about, Rachel was looking pretty worn, and they all looked like they could use a break from the noise and tragedy that had increased with every step as they drew closer to downtown. For the most part they witnessed the good side of humanity as people helped each other, comforted each other. But there was also the darker side, with the looting and the fighting. They used their instinct, trying to avoid crowds that looked rough or out of control. They ran for their lives when someone pulled out a gun and waved it in the air, getting off a few rounds before someone tackled him and took the gun away. And as if their surroundings weren't bad enough, they also had to deal with the cold, which they were all beginning to feel the effects of.

They huddled together at the corner of the building where Wes' friend lived. The building looked like it hadn't sustained much damage, so they felt it was possible his friend was there. They noticed a group of young guys hanging in front of the entrance. Finn looked at them, "I don't like the looks of them." He said concerned. "They look like they're in the mood to mess with people." Blaine nodded. They didn't seem dangerous as much as just bothersome, but he knew they were going to have to be careful with the way they dealt with them.

"I think you and Wes should approach them first." Blaine said to Finn. "The rest of us are too easy of a target to get them started on us...Maybe you can feel it out, see if it'll be safe for us to pass by them."

Rachel spoke up. "I'm a girl." She said with confidence. "They wouldn't hurt a girl."

They all looked at her curiously. "How long have you lived in this city?" Wes asked with a confused look on his face. But before she was able to answer they heard a ruckus coming from the group of youngsters. They were shouting and pushing at each other and it didn't take long before a knife was pulled out. From their view at the corner of the building they could see a short guy pleading with someone not to do it. "Don't Joey." He begged. "I didn't mean nothing by it." His pleas went unanswered as the other guy jabbed the knife into his belly, running along with the rest of the hoodlums, leaving the short guy curled up and bleeding, screaming for help.

Kurt's hands were shaking both from the cold and from the horrible scene he just witnessed. He'd never seen anyone get stabbed before, except in a movie or on television. _'It's a lot different in person'_ He thought to himself as he stood staring at the man lying helpless just a few feet away. "We need to help him." Kurt said anxiously. "We can't just let him lay there and die."

"Okay." Blaine said. "Finn and I will see what we can do for him, the rest of you get to the entrance and make your way to Wes' friend's apartment. We'll meet you there."

They all nodded in agreement and headed toward the entrance. Finn and Blaine knelt down next to the stranger as the rest did as they were instructed. "Hey, buddy...you okay?" Finn asked.

"Do I fucking look like i'm okay?" The stranger shouted. "I've got a fucking knife sticking out of me asshole, so I'm definitely not okay!" He moaned in pain. "Take it out." He begged.

"W-What? No." Finn said nervously. "You're suppose to leave it in...at least that's what I think I remember you're suppose to do."

Blaine nodded "Yes, yes, you're suppose to leave it in." He said anxiously. "You could bleed to death or something...I-I think we just need to stop the bleeding."

The guy didn't give them a choice as he grabbed the handle of the knife and yanked it out himself, screaming out as he did. "Fuck." He yelled. "Fuck, that fucking hurts!"

Finn and Blaine glanced at each other, both with fear in their eyes. Blaine took his sweater off, the only protection he had from the frigid wind, leaving him with just a light tee shirt on. He placed it over the wound and pressed down, hoping it would be enough to stop the bleeding. "What the fuck dude? We told you not to do that." He said frantically. He looked around, hoping to see a medic or a doctor somewhere in sight, but there was none, there were only people wandering aimlessly, looking even more lost and afraid than he was. "Fuck." He shouted as he looked down at the stranger again. He looked into the guys eyes and saw that there was nothing there. Whatever that's in each of us that puts the light in our eyes, was gone. He'd seen death that day, but this one broke him. A senseless act of violence among what looked to be friends. He closed the guys eyelids as he said a prayer, and as he and Finn walked away, he knew they all were going to have to do a lot of praying to make it through this.

Wes' friend Gina, a small girl who was in the city working as a waitress trying to pay for her tuition at NYU, let them into her tiny one bedroom apartment. She had a few candles lit, and Rachel tried to warm her hands over one, but it wasn't really helping much. "I went down to the store." Gina said to them, voice a little shaky. "I wanted to get supplies, you know, batteries, water, food, but it was already picked through. Looters got to it fast." She wrapped the blanket she had around her tighter. "I have a little water and food, but no batteries. My friend Melvin said he heard that it's gonna be a long time before they can get help to anyone...The hospitals are full, the police don't have a clue what to do, people are going crazy out there."

"We're not going to stay long, we don't want to use up your supplies." Wes said, putting his arm around her. "We just need to rest for a while, then we're heading out to find Kurt's friend."

"Boyfriend, actually." Kurt said, not sure why he felt the need to correct him. He sat on the couch next to Rachel and threw a blanket that Gina had given him around them both, cuddling up to her for warmth.

There was a knock at the door, and Gina went to let Finn and Blaine in. They all looked at them, knowing by the look on their faces that things hadn't gone well for the young guy they had tried to help. Nobody mentioned it as they both sat quietly trying to erase the memory of what they'd just went through. Kurt wanted to comfort them, but he found no words. He watched as Blaine slowly walked over to the sink to wash his hands, desperately trying to get the strangers blood off. Blaine didn't look scared or sad to Kurt, he just looked angry and disdainful. Kurt wrapped the blanket firmly around Rachel, then stood and walked over behind Blaine, placing a hand on his shoulder and whispering, "Are you alright?" He asked, rubbing his shoulder gently. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. Is there anything I can do? W-Would you like some water or something?"

Blaine dried his hands quickly and turned to Kurt. "No, I'm fine. I-I just need a minute to.." He looked down at the floor, trying not to show his emotions. He was never really comfortable showing his emotions. He swallowed a lump in his throat and continued. "I have to get my head together. I have to figure out how we're going to find your friend Jerry and survive the cold and the dangers that are out there." He looked at Kurt warmly. "I need to keep you safe." He cleared his throat and quickly looked away, "I-I mean I need to keep you all safe."

Kurt smiled at him. There was something about this guy that was just so courageous and brave, but also sensitive and caring. _'It's rare to find such admirable qualities in one guy' _Kurt thought to himself, _'much less one guy that looked that fucking good'. _He shook the thought off and replied. "Jason, his name is Jason, not Jerry." He looked directly into Blaine's eyes. "And you're not responsible for my safety Blaine. You've already saved me once today, I think I should be the one responsible for you." He took both of Blaine's hands in his. "Why don't we go into the bathroom so I can try and scrub the rest of this off your hands?" He said, rubbing at the blood spots that still remained.

Blaine nodded and let Kurt lead him to a small bathroom just around the corner. Kurt noticed that Blaine was shaking from the cold, or perhaps even more than that, so he took off his jacket and placed it around his shoulders. Blaine thanked him as they stood in front of the sink and rinsed his hands, Kurt gently rubbing to clean them. Blaine closed his eyes and let the feeling of Kurt's fingers caressing his hand relax him. He wanted for just one moment to forget the horrors of the day and escape to a place in his mind that was just him, lying comfortable in his soft bed, listening to classic oldies as he drifted off to sleep. But for whatever reason, he wasn't in that bed alone. When he looked beside him, he saw Kurt... He quickly opened his eyes, blushing at the thought.

"What ya thinking?" Kurt asked as he started to dry Blaine's hands with the towel that was next to the sink. "Whatever it is, it must be good. You had a huge smile on your face."

"Oh..Um.." Blaine said flustered. "I-I was just thinking that we really need to get some warmer clothes. None of us are dressed to go out in this cold weather, we'll end up freezing to death before we ever find your friend...Jason." He said sarcastically.

"You're right." Kurt said. "Maybe this Gina girl has something for Rachel." He gave it more thought. "We might have to ask around to see if anyone's got something for us...Maybe some of her neighbors or friends."

"Yeah, that would be a good idea." Blaine said, pulling Kurt's jacket from around his shoulders and placing it around Kurt. 'In the mean time, you keep this on. It's not really my style anyways." He joked. "It looks better on you." Blaine straightened the collar around Kurt, his fingers lightly brushing his neck as he did. He felt the smoothness of his skin, and as his hand moved slightly down the collar, he felt the trickle of his chest hair just above his shirt. He caught his breath for a moment, suddenly wanting to feel even more, to run his fingers through whatever Kurt had going on underneath there. He jerked his hand away quickly, hoping Kurt hadn't noticed the attention.

"We'll go find you something to wear." Kurt said with a smile. He opened the bathroom door, allowing Blaine to walk out first. He followed behind as they made their way back to the others, grinning widely because he had, in fact, noticed the attention.

They all sat and discussed their next move, all agreeing that finding proper clothing was the most important thing at the moment. Gina was able to find a sweater and jacket that fit Rachel, and a sweat shirt that fit Blaine. She went to what few neighbors were left in the building and collected what they could give her. By the time they were ready to head out again, they all had at least something on that would help a little against the cold. They thanked Gina for her hospitality, then started on their way. As they left the building they all looked up to they sky. It was getting late and the sun was beginning to come down... and so were tiny droplets of wet snow.

* * *

_"Why do people act so insane during a crisis?" Jason asked, as he and Sebastian sat on some crates in a quiet alley. "I mean some people act just fine, then other's just lose it...Did you see that guy taking the wallet out of that dead ladies pocket? I mean, what the fuck is going through his mind? I could use a few extra bucks too, but I don't think I'd go that far to get it."_

_Sebastian rubbed his hands together trying to warm them. "You have no idea how far you'd go to get what you needed." Sebastian said. "Nobody knows until they've been pushed to their limit." He chuckled then looked at Jason with a smirk. "I think you'd be willing to do a lot more than you think...I bet you'd even kill to get what you needed."_

_Jason grunted. "Well, let's hope it doesn't come down to that. I just wanna find Kurt and get the hell out of here. I think we should make our way out of the city once I've found him...What do you think?"_

_Sebastian looked at him, still smirking. "You and Kurt wouldn't have a chance at getting out alive." He stood and began walking toward the street, Jason following behind. "You and your delicate flower boyfriend wouldn't last two minutes." He turned back toward Jason. "Let me ask you Jason." He said as he rubbed his hand along Jason's arm. "What would you be willing to do to have me as your personal escort out of town?" He reached up and ran his fingers through Jason's hair. "To get not only you, but your precious Kurt out of here safely."_

_Jason brushed him away and they started walking again. He hated the way Sebastian had implied that he wasn't strong enough or clever enough to protect Kurt and get him to safety. But as they made their way down the now darkened streets of the city, he feared that Sebastian could be right, and at some point he might actually have to decide what he'd be willing to do_.


	7. Chapter 7

The snow was coming down a bit heavier and the wind was blowing even stronger than before. The sun had gone down, and without power in the city to light the streets, they were left in darkness as they made their way. Blaine had managed to buy a flashlight from a looter. It cost him a hundred bucks, but he felt it was money well spent. The glow from the fires that still burned, and the small ones that people were starting for warmth, at least gave them a glow to follow. There was less looting going on because most everything was already emptied, but the feeling in the city took on a more sinister turn as the night moved in, and the small group of college students feared they would be no match against the hidden shadows that seemed to lurk at every corner, ready to pounce on them if given the chance.

"Hey there handsome, you look real cold." A scantily dressed woman said as she approached Blaine. "Why don't you let Molly do some rubbin' and warm you up? I've got a special goin' on, and your buddy there can join in for free." She said, nodding towards Kurt.

Blaine chuckled. "No thank you, my buddy and I are warm enough." He stopped walking and looked at her from head to toe. "But you look like you're freezing, you should really go and find some more clothes to cover yourself. Don't you have a coat?" He asked concerned. "You could have mine if you need it."

The woman laughed. "I have a coat sugar, but how will anyone see the merchandise if I cover it up?" She walked away, mumbling something about needing a cigarette.

They all laughed as they headed on, glad that it was only her that approached them and not the two shadows that they all felt seemed to be following them. They found someone selling water so they brought a couple of bottles and went behind one of the half fallen stores to sit and drink for just a minute. The city was actually quiet except for an occasional roar from a building that had finally gave out, and of course there were plenty of gunshots heard. None of them could deny the fact that between the dangers of the damaged buildings the quake had caused, and the dangers of the out of control people, that the quake was also more than likely responsible for, they were scared... and more than just a little.

Blaine went around the corner to have a minute alone, sitting on the ground and resting his back against the building. He could feel the tension in his neck and shoulders as he rubbed them. His whole body was starting to feel fatigued, and the fact that he hadn't eaten anything since breakfast that morning, wasn't helping his energy level. He closed his eyes and leaned his head back, wishing he could just sleep and wake up to find that all of this was just a nightmare.

"You look sore." Kurt said, sitting down next to him.

Blaine sighed and laughed. "Yeah well, maybe I should go find that prostitute and offer her twenty bucks for a massage." He looked at Kurt and smiled. "And with that special she's got going on, she'd take care of you too."

Kurt grinned. "Something tells me she might be a little too rough for us." He looked down at his hands. "You know, I've been told I give a wicked good massage...I mean.." He hesitated nervously, not knowing if Blaine would find it odd that he'd offer a massage.

"Oh." Blaine said excitedly. "That...that would be great..I mean, if you wouldn't mind."

"I wouldn't mind." Kurt said. "It's the least i can do after all you've done for me." He smiled and turned his body as Blaine did the same. "I just need to position myself so I can.." He put his legs on each side of Blaine, being careful not to get too up close and personal, although he thought to himself that it would be nice to get closer, not to mention easier to give the massage, but he didn't want to seem inappropriate. With Blaine's back to him, he reached up and put both hands on his shoulders, gently rubbing and caressing. Blaine instantly let out a low groan of relief at the touch, letting his head drop as Kurt continued to massage, using his fingers around the neck muscles, and palms along the shoulders.

Blaine felt himself begin to relax as Kurt made his way down to the shoulder blades, circling his hands around the muscles in attempt to loosen them.

"You really are tense." Kurt said as he continued rubbing. "I know it's cold, but this would be a lot easier if you took off your coat." Kurt lightly bit his lip, not sure if that were actually true, or if he just wanted to get more contact with Blaine's body. Without hesitation, Blaine took off the coat. He was still wearing the sweatshirt he'd gotten from Gina, so Kurt felt he wouldn't freeze. "Are you cold?" He asked, gently rubbing his arms to try and warm him. "You can scoot back a little towards me for body heat if...if you want." He stuttered. "I don't want you to freeze."

Again, without hesitation, Blaine did as Kurt suggested, inching his way back until they were almost flush together. He felt the heat from Kurt's body cover his back and it felt so good he had to stop himself from rubbing up against him. Kurt's hands moved down to the middle of his back, but now Blaine was no longer feeling just his hands, but his entire body, Kurt's inner thighs pushing warmly up against his thighs, his chest and arms so close that with just one slight move they'd be surrounding him. Blaine sighed deep, knowing that he wanted that, he wanted to feel every part of Kurt against him. He barely knew the guy, but somehow in such a short period of time he felt more comfortable with Kurt than any other guy he'd met. He found Kurt attractive right from the start, his tall build, muscular arms, gorgeous blue eyes, and of course, those freakishly adorable dimples, but he didn't actually think Kurt was the type of guy he'd want to hang out with, and definitely not the type he'd want to get involved with. Maybe it was the events of the day, he thought to himself, maybe there's something about going through a disaster that changes your perspective on these things.

Kurt had felt Blaine's thighs press up against him as he moved back toward him. He thought about spreading his legs wider to avoid the contact, but he was afraid that might seem too suggestive. Once they made contact, Kurt had no intention of moving them. He felt the heat between them as it sent warmth throughout his entire body. It felt so good on so many levels, and he knew that it was more than the coverage from the cold he was feeling. He continued massaging Blaine's back, working his way down, running his fingers through the contour of each muscle. He felt Blaine exhale lightly at every spot he prodded, and when he gently palmed his lower back, Blaine let out a low moan of pleasure. Kurt relished at the sound, wanting to hit just the right spot to hear it once again.

Blaine tried to control his reactions to Kurt's touch as much as possible, biting his lip to avoid moaning out, but when he hit a tender spot just above his hip, he couldn't stop himself. He found himself closing his eyes and leaning his head back, resting it on Kurt's shoulder. Kurt's touch felt better than it should, better than any massage he'd had before. He tried to concentrate on just the points on his back that Kurt was pressing and rubbing, but his whole body was feeling the effects, as if his hands and fingers were running all over is body, touching every pleasure spot they could find. As he lay rested against him, he felt Kurt's hot breath breeze over his ear and down his neck, then lightly graze his cheek before evaporating into the cold air. He turned his head slightly to allow the warmth of his breath to travel down the small open line between his shirt and his chest. He shivered when he felt the heat hit the top of his chest, not from the cold, but from the sensitivity his nerves were feeling at every sense of Kurt's presence behind him.

Kurt could tell what was going on between the two of them was much more than just an average massage. Blaine's reactions to his touch were increasing, become more intense and heated. He didn't want to respond to Blaine's movements and sounds, but he did, feeling the need for more and more contact with every breath and every sigh. Without even thinking, he slid his hands down to the hem of Blaine's shirt, slowly lifting it just enough to allow one hand to easily slide under, feeling his warm skin, both quivering at the sensation of it. He worked his way up, still massaging, but mostly caressing, his breathing increasing with every inch of Blaine's back he explored. He slide his other hand under, running his fingers over Blaine's side, causing him to gasp and push back into him. Kurt moaned as Blaine pressed up against his now almost fully hard cock. He wasn't sure how Blaine would react to this development, but was relieved when he didn't immediately withdraw, seeming to push back even more at the feel of it.

The feel of Kurt's fingers on his bare back and his hot breath skimming over his neck was just about enough to drive Blaine wild, but as he felt Kurt tickle up his side, his instinct drew him back, pressing his hips and ass up against Kurt's groin. When he felt his hard cock rub against him, he considered pulling away, but without even realizing it, he pressed back even harder, enjoying the feel as Kurt squeezed his thighs tighter against him, inviting the connection. His own cock painfully hard inside his pants, aching for release. He'd never felt such intense physical attraction to anyone before and feared he might just come in his pants on the spot. He felt Kurt push forward into his hips, and he thought for sure if he did that one more time he would scream out in pleasure, drawing the attention of the others that sat quietly just around the corner. He closed his lips tight together as he felt Kurt's lips brush lightly just below his ear, hot and wet. He tilted his head, hoping to encourage more of this.

Kurt knew he shouldn't, he knew it was wrong not to stop. He should remember his love for Jason and just walk away, but the passion he was feeling with Blaine at that moment was too strong to resist. He slid his hand around, feeling the coarse chest hair that lined Blaine's chest. He drew him closer, leaving no distance between them as they both tried to fight a losing battle of willpower. He skimmed his lips against Blaine's neck, wanting desperately to nibble and suck at the spot below his ear when Blaine moved his head to allow easy access. He was just about to delve in when they heard a loud gunshot, breaking them out of their lustful haze.

They quickly jumped up and bolted around the corner, fearful of what they might find. What they saw was a shocking scene. Finn standing with a gun in his hand, trembling as he looked down at the man not far from him, bent down on all fours. Rachel standing behind him with her hand covering her mouth to muffle her scream. Wes running toward the second intruder, grabbing him and tackling him to the ground. It took a moment for Kurt's mind to catch up to what he was seeing. He took a step closer and gasped in horror as it became clear to him that the man bent over in front of Finn...was Jason.


	8. Chapter 8

"Jason!" Kurt yelled out as he ran over and knelt down beside him "Oh my god Finn, you shot Jason!"

Finn stood in shock, still trembling, unable to even speak. Blaine walked over and carefully took the gun out of his hand, pointing it away from everyone as he put it back into the safety position. His brother had taken him to the shooting range a few times when he was "researching" a role as a cop he was auditioning for, so he had at least a basic knowledge of how to operate a gun.

"I'm okay Kurt" Jason said, grabbing Kurt's shoulders to calm him. "I'm okay..I didn't get hit." He put his arms around Kurt's neck. "He missed me, Kurt...I just went down to cover myself from a second shot...I didn't get hit." He repeated softly in Kurt's ear. "I'm okay."

Kurt was shaking and on the verge of tears. He threw his arms around Jason and hugged him tight. "I thought you were dead." He whimpered. "I-I thought I'd lost you." They held each other for a moment before they heard a grunt from just a few feet away.

"Enough with the disgustingly sweet reunion, dudes." Sebastian yelled out. "Would someone please tell this moron to get off me? His balls are uncomfortably close to my dick and he's not my type."

Kurt and Jason turned to see that Wes had Sebastian pinned down as he lay on top of him. Kurt almost laughed at the sight, but held back. "Wes, it's alright..you can let him go..he's a friend of.." He almost said 'mine', but changed his mind. "He's a friend of Jason's."

"You heard what pretty-boy said." Sebastian said snidely. "Now get your junk off of me before I crush it."

Wes didn't say anything, he just stood and leered at Sebastian as he watched him stand and wipe the dirt and dust from his clothes. "You're lucky I didn't see you coming or I would of pounded you." Sebastian growled. "Now, would someone please tell me why Godzilla here was shooting at us?"

Blaine spoke up. "Uh..Yeah Finn. I think you should explain why you're shooting off a gun that you never even bothered to tell any of us you had." Blaine's tone was angry as he held the gun out in front of Finn.

"I-I don't know." Finn said, still shaken. "I heard something behind me and I...I panicked...I thought.." He looked shamefully down at the ground. "I thought it was someone here to hurt Rachel...I..I was trying to protect her."

Blaine looked at Rachel, who was now in tears, and then back to Finn. He sighed as he realized that he could hardly blame Finn for wanting to protect the woman he loves. It was actually admirable of him, but also very stupid given the fact that he almost blew his friend's head off. "Why didn't you tell us you had a gun?" He asked.

"I was hoping we wouldn't have to use it." Finn said nervously. "I've never shot at anyone before...and I never wanted to have too."

Jason chuckled. "Well Finn, I think you've just had your first shot at a human target." He lifted himself up, grabbing Kurt's arm to help him up. "I guess i'm really lucky you've got a bad aim."

They all sighed out a laugh, releasing some of the tension they were feeling over the whole incident. Blaine took the gun and placed it in the inside pocket of his coat. He certainly wasn't about to give it back to trigger happy Finn, he didn't want to see a repeat of what just happened. He remembered what a guy at the shooting range had told him,_ 'A gun can be great protection, but it can also give you a false sense of security and lead you to make foolish decisions'_. After what had just happened, Blaine felt he knew now what the guy was talking about.

Sebastian eyed the guy with the dark curly hair curiously. He knew Finn and Rachel from their Halloween party Jason had invited him to, and he was intimately introduced to Wes just minutes ago, but this short, yet dashing guy looked intriguing. The way he'd handled Finn when questioning him about the gun, the way he'd held the gun like he knew how to use it...but most intriguing was the look on his face when Kurt and Jason were hugging it out in front of him. Sebastian could have sworn he saw a look of jealousy flash across that handsome face.

"Sebastian Smythe" He said with a smile, holding out his hand to Blaine. "I don't think we've ever met."

Blaine reached out, quickly shaking Sebastian's hand. "Blaine Anderson." He said, giving only a slight smile back. He wasn't impressed with the attitude he'd given Wes, and he got the feeling this guy was a real prick. "You're a friend of Jason's? Did you guys walk from the coffee shop together?"

"Yes, we were enjoying a fresh cup of brew when we were so rudely interrupted by this pesky earthquake... A little warning would have been nice." Sebastian joked. "I wouldn't have worn my best suit to this party if I'd known it was going to get this rowdy."

Blaine chuckled. "If I'd of known, I would have stayed in California. The buildings are built to withstand earthquakes there."

"You're from California." Sebastian said, pretending to be interested. "I plan on moving there in a few months." He leaned his hand against the building, crossing his feet and cocking his head. "Maybe you could join me and show me around."

Blaine knew the look, he'd seen it plenty of times before. Although he'd only had one boyfriend in the past, he'd gotten accustomed to getting hit on often. He was told that the attention wasn't just from his physical appearance, but from some sort of signal he sent out. He wasn't really sure exactly what that signal was, or how to stop it, but he'd gotten used to rejecting the advances.

"I'm pretty sure you'll be able to find your way around just fine without me." Blaine said with a laugh."But I can give you the names of some nice places to visit."

Sebastian opened his mouth to reply, but never got the chance. He felt the wall against his hand begin to shake and the ground trembled beneath him. He quickly jumped away from the building to avoid any falling debris. Blaine leaped as he saw the side of the building start to crumble, dust and bricks falling down around him. He'd almost cleared the wreckage when a small brick flew down and swiped him across his left forearm, leaving a gash about five or six inches long. The blood flowed out as he put his right hand over it to stop it. He hunkered down next to Sebastian as they waited for the aftershock to pass. Once it did, he stood to survey the damage, desperately looking for the others.

He saw Finn and Rachel huddled over by a dumpster, and Wes not far from them, sitting on the ground looking dazed, but unharmed. He heard a voice from around the corner, "Kurt." Jason yelled. "Kurt, where are you?"

Blaine's heart sank and his pulse raced as he climbed over a few pieces of debris that blocked his way around the corner. When he reached Jason he was still calling out for Kurt. Blaine's heart sank even deeper when he saw the whole side of the store had collapsed during the aftershock, and from the way Jason was behaving, he had reason to believe that Kurt might be under it.

"Where's Kurt?" Blaine asked loudly, grabbing Jason by both arms. "Is he under there?" He asked, his voice shaky. "Do you know if he's under there?"

"I...I think so." Jason said, confused. "He said he had to go pee, so he went around this corner and..." Jason paused, emotions now overcoming him. He put his head in his hands. "Fuck...I think he's under there." He cried.

Blaine didn't hesitate, quickly picking up debris and tossing it aside. He yelled Kurt's name several times, able to hear the desperation in his own voice as it echoed off what little walls were left standing. He remembered from the library that he had to be careful not to cause a cave-in and accidentally crush Kurt, as he looked for holes or spots that Kurt could be trapped in. The others joined in, though none were sure they wanted to be the one to actually find him. They'd seen enough death, and losing one of their own would surely break them.

"Kurt...Kurt..can you hear me?" Blaine yelled. He scanned around, trying to find a place in the rubble that no one had checked yet.

"I hear you just fine, Blaine." Kurt said, standing a few feet away from him. "What are you guys doing?" He questioned.

Blaine was ecstatic, running over to Kurt and throwing his uninjured arm around him. "Holy shit Kurt." He said excitedly. "We thought you were under there...We though you got crushed."

Kurt gingerly hugged Blaine back, looking over at Jason. "Well I didn't get crushed..When everything started to fall I ran like hell around to the front and then circled back around."

"Well," Finn said breathless. "It took you long enough to get back...You had us scared to death."

Kurt frowned. "I'm sorry, but I figured while I was out that way I'd find a place to take a leak...I really had to go, the aftershock almost made me piss my pants."

They looked around at each other, not sure if they wanted to laugh at him or throw something at him. They ended up laughing as Jason walked over to Kurt, giving Blaine a look that said_ 'back off my man'._ Blaine pulled back as Jason took Kurt's hand and led him away. He stood watching Jason fuss over Kurt as Kurt did his best to assure him he was alright. And as he walked to the other side to get away from the sight, he chastised himself for wishing he was the one fussing over Kurt.

"That's a pretty bad cut." Sebastian said, pointing at Blaine's arm. "You really should wrap it up or it might get infected."

"Are you following me?" Blaine asked, somewhat irritated.

"Well.." Sebastian grunted. "I could either follow you or..." He paused, peeking around the corner to make sure they weren't being heard. "Or I could follow the inapt cop and his pretentious girlfriend, or the two emotionally hysterical gay boys, or that Asian dude who keeps looking at me like he wants to go all Kung-Fu on my ass." He grinned, taking a handkerchief from his pocket and handing it to Blaine for his arm. "I think I've got a much better chance sticking with you. I have a feeling you could come in handy as I make my way out of this hell hole."

Blaine used the handkerchief to cover his wound, then inspected the tear in his coat before throwing it over his shoulder. "That's silly." He said with a grin. "Wes doesn't even know Kung-Fu." He walked away thinking, _'This guy is really going to get on my nerves'_.

They huddled together near the dumpster, plotting out their next move. They knew they needed to go out and get information about what the authorities were planning on doing. It was getting late and they were all tired, cold and hungry. They decide they'd build a small fire for heat and stay put for the night, but they were in need of food and information, so after some discussion they'd picked Blaine and Sebastian to go out and scrounge up what they could find, anything they could get their hands on that would tell them what was going on in and around the city. Blaine because of his ability to use the gun, if needed, and Sebastian because he knew more about the city than the rest.

Blaine was happy to go, being the first one to volunteer. Sebastian wasn't as keen on the idea at first, but seemed to perk up after finding out it would just be the two off them. Kurt noticed Sebastian's enthusiasm when he heard this, and his skin crawled at the thought of Sebastian being alone with Blaine. He told himself it wasn't jealousy, just concern for Blaine's welfare...but he knew he was only kidding himself. He'd seen the look on Jason's face when Blaine had put his arm around him. In a moment of relief, Blaine might have shown more about the way he felt about him than he intended, and Jason wasn't blind to it, almost scowling at Blaine when he walked over to _'claim his man'_. Kurt knew that both of them would have to be more careful not to let that happen again, and the only way to be sure of that was to keep his distance from Blaine.

The two men headed out into the dark city as the others crowded around the fire. Rachel was sitting at Finn's feet, already dozing off. Kurt felt the weariness behind his eyes and the ache had returned to his thigh. He wanted badly to be back at his apartment, cozy under the blankets as Jason spooned him from behind. But as he closed his eyes to picture it, the man he envisioned behind his wasn't Jason at all...It was Blaine.


	9. Chapter 9

_**A quick note to my readers: I want to thank you for sticking with me through this story. I'm not sure exactly how **__**many chapters there are going to be, but I estimate it to be about eighteen. I hope you're enjoying the read, and **__**if you have any comments or constructive criticism, please leave a review. I plan on putting out at least one chapter **__**a day so you won't have to wait long for updates. Thanks again!**_

* * *

Kurt and Jason sat in front of the fire as the others slept. They had decided to take shifts to keep the fire burning, and they volunteered to do the first. Kurt was drowsy and his thigh was throbbing, but Jason seemed wide awake as he threw a small board onto the fire.

"We'll let them sleep for a couple of hours then it'll be our turn to sleep." Jason said quietly, putting his arm around Kurt's shoulder. "I know you're tired babe, so if you want to lean on me and rest it's okay."

"No." Kurt said wearily. "I'll wait until we both can sleep." He leaned his head on Jason's shoulder. "But thanks for the offer."

They sat for a moment, staring at the glow from the fire. Kurt was fighting to keep his eyes open, but he was determined not to make Jason take care of the fire by himself. He wondered how long Blaine and Sebastian would be gone. He didn't think they;d have to go very far to get what was needed, but what they might have to do to get it was anyone's guess. He still heard shouting in the streets and the random rounds of gunfire. At one point the shooting went on for so long he thought for sure everyone in the city owned a gun and were firing them at the same time. He shuddered to think of what, or who, they were shooting at.

He thought about Blaine being out in that craziness and closed his eyes to fight off the horrible images of what could happen to him. He thought back to when it was just him and Blaine, their bodies warm and excited up against each other, the feel of Blaine's skin, the smell of his sweat combined with just a touch of cologne, the way his lips felt as they lightly grazed over Blaine's neck. He sighed deep, knowing just how wrong it was to be thinking such things while wrapped in Jason's arms.

"I love you Kurt." Jason whispered in his ear, wrapping his arm around him even tighter.

"I love you too." Kurt sighed, tilting his head to look up at him. "I'm glad you didn't die." He smiled and leaned up to kiss him tenderly. He meant what he said, he was glad Jason was there with him, comforting him. He felt fortunate to have a man like Jason in his life, and as they sat and watched the fire burn, he felt guilty that Blaine Anderson was almost making him forget that.

* * *

_They were able to find food easy enough, nothing special, just some canned vegetables and tunafish that were left on a shelf. Everything had been picked through and very little remained, but Blaine grabbed a bag and tossed in what he could find. There was a lone package of gummy bears, and he smiled remembering how much he'd loved them when he was younger. He threw them in the bag then climbed over the garbage that was blocking his way to the area where the medical supplies should be. What shelves that remained intact were empty, but he did find a roll of gauze on the floor, he picked it up and put it the bag. Then he saw a small bottle of pain killers. His arm wasn't really hurting, but he could tell before he'd left that Kurt's thigh was bothering him again. He snatched the bottle up and put it in his coat pocket._

_"Okay." Sebastian called over to him. "Time to go..we've got gang members coming our way." Sebastian had been the look-out while Blaine rummaged through the drug store. Blaine didn't like the guy, but he was impressed by his ability to read people, so he let Sebastian lead the way as they searched for what they needed. They'd ran into a couple of incidences where Sebastian's smooth talk and people skills had gotten them past groups of people that were just out and about to harass anyone that crossed their path, almost as if they were doing it more out of boredom than anything else. He hadn't felt really threatened yet, not threatened enough to think about taking out the gun anyways. He was glad for that, he wasn't crazy about the idea of ever having to fire the thing._

_"Come on slow poke." Sebastian prodded. "These guys look like a heap of trouble and i'm pretty sure they're packing, so move that sexy ass of yours before you end up with a slug in it." He ran over and grabbed Blaine's arm, dragging him through to the back of the store. They found the exit door, but it was jammed. They could hear them getting closer, laughing and shouting as if to let everyone know that they were there and in the mood to rumble over the pettiest of things. Blaine used all his strength to try and wedge the door open, nervously looking behind him to see if they'd been spotted._

_"Get your scrawny arms over here and help me Sebastian." Blaine grunted. "I can't get it open by myself." With the two of them working on it, they were able to open it just enough for them to slip through, just as the thugs showed up. Blaine was fairly confident none of them saw them, but he reached into his coat just in case, gripping his hand around the gun, ready to pull it out if he needed to. They made their way through the dark alley, careful not to make too much noise and be heard. Sebastian stumbled over something and landed on all fours, but quickly picked himself up and continued on. Once they were far enough away and sure they weren't being followed, they sat down on the back stoop of an old abandoned apartment building, both letting out a sigh of relief that they managed to get out just in time._

_"Wow." Blaine laughed out. "Remind me again why I volunteered for this job?" He set the bag down next to him and rubbed his hands over his face. "This shit is fucked up...I mean, aren't people suppose to be helping each other right now?...Aren't we all suppose to band together and declare solidarity in the face of disaster as we form a circle and sing a Michael Jackson song? Vowing to rebuild and triumph over tragedy." He said sarcastically._

_"People who buy into all that post-disaster love are fools." Sebastian replied. "What it all comes down to my friend is survival of the fittest, kill or be killed, the most basic and rawest of human behavior." He patted his hand on Blaine's back. "And I have to say Blaine, I could tell by the look in your eyes when those thugs were almost on top of us, your survival instincts are even more fierce than mine." He chuckled. "I would have almost felt bad for them if they had caught us...I think you were ready to take them all down."_

_Blaine stood up and headed up the stoop. "Well Sebastian, that's a pretty cynical way of looking at things." He pried open the back door to the building and stepped in, Sebastian following behind. "But I have to admit." He continued as they made their way inside. "After tonight, i'm inclined to agree with you."_

_The building was empty but for a few boxes and a couple of mattresses piled in the corner of one of the rooms. Blaine used the flashlight to inspect their surroundings, making sure there were no strangers lurking around. He half expected to see at least a homeless person curled up sleeping in one of the rooms, but there were none. The cold was chilling him to the bone, but at least in this building they had shelter from the wind._

_"I need to rest for a minute and have something .to eat." Blaine said as he dragged one of the mattresses to the center of the room. "I don't have enough energy to make it back to the others right now, but I will soon if I eat something...You should eat something too." He suggested, handing Sebastian a can of peas. "Let's do this and then head back." _

_They sat on the mattress eating in silence, both obviously drained from the long day. Blaine wanted to hurry, he didn't want to leave the others without food or the protection of the gun for any longer than needed. But once he finished his meal, he found himself falling on his back along the mattress, stretching his aching muscles and yawning. He was exhausted, but he couldn't let himself fall asleep._

_"You're gonna fall asleep if you lay down." Sebastian said sitting beside him._

_"I'm just relaxing for a minute." Blaine replied as he closed his eyes. "Don't let me fall asleep."_

_Sebastian chuckled. "You know we could both use a little sleep." He stretched out along side of Blaine, laying on his side facing him, propped up on one elbow to slightly hover over him. "The others will be fine for an hour or so."_

_Blaine looked at him seriously. "No sleeping...I need to get back to them."_

_"You mean you need to get back to Kurt...Don't you Blaine?" He asked coyly. "What's going on with you and that little minx? You two got a thing going on?"_

_"What? No.." Blaine huffed. "I...I barely even know him. We just met before the quake hit."_

_"Oh come on Blaine." Sebastian grinned. "I saw the way the two of you were looking at each other. You could cut the sexual tension with a knife."_

_Blaine looked away, Sebastian was too good at reading people, and he didn't want him reading him right now. "Just because you obviously have sex on the brain all the time doesn't mean the rest of us do." He replied. "And besides...Kurt has a boyfriend."_

_Sebastian laughed. "You mean that wimp Jason? He's doesn't hold a candle to someone like you Blaine." He ran his finger from Blaine's shoulder down along his bicep, then back up again, removing it when Blaine flinched. "You know Blaine, I bet if we worked together we could both get what we want out of all of this." _

_Blaine turned his head back toward him. "What do you mean." He asked curiously. "What exactly are you hoping to get out of all of this?"_

_He placed his hand on Blaine's chest, sliding it up to grab the zipper on his coat, slowly easing it down enough to reach in and feel the warmth through the sweatshirt he was wearing beneath, running his hand along his chest and up over the collarbone, skimming his neck with his fingers until he reached Blaine's jawline, thumbing along the shape of it before cupping his chin. _

_"Well for starters." Sebastian said provocatively. "I was hoping you and me could have some fun as long as we're stuck here in this cold, dark lonely room. A little body heat would sure feel nice right now." He bent down and kissed him full on the mouth, pressing their lips together hard as he ran his hand behind Blaine's head to hinder any resistance._

_Blaine was shocked. He didn't know why he was shocked given the fact that Sebastian had made his intentions towards him clear earlier, but he was. He gasped as Sebastian moved his wet lips over his, slyly running his tongue along his bottom lip, trying to gain entrance as he clenched his hair, firmly forcing their mouths together. He had no choice but to open his mouth for air, and when he did, Sebastian took advantage of it, darting his tongue in as Blaine attempted to pull back. The position they were lying in gave Sebastian the leverage he needed to control things, and Blaine knew he'd have to do something quick to end this. He reached up and grabbed a handful of Sebastian's hair and yanked hard on it, causing him to break away._

_"What the fuck Blaine?" He said as he backed off and rubbed the back of his head in pain. "I had no idea you were into the rough stuff."_

_Blaine bolted up and quickly moved to the other end of the mattress, glad to be out of Sebastian Smythe's claws. "You know." He said angrily. "You should really ask for permission before you kiss someone like that...You're lucky all I did was pull your stupid looking hair."_

_Sebastian chuckled, but this time Blaine was sure it was a nervous chuckle. "Okay, okay..I get it." He said still rubbing the back of his head. "You're not interested...I guess you're only into the princess type, but hey..." He said as he stood up. "...It's your loss." he threw Blaine a wink and headed toward the door. "Maybe if you play your cards right and be nicer, I might just be willing to help you get that obnoxiously sweet little Kurt fantasy you've got going on in your head to actually happen." He turned as he walked out. "I wonder Blaine...How far will you go to get what you want?" _

_Blaine watched him walk out, wishing he would just continue walking and he'd never have to deal with him again, but he also knew he needed him, the way back to the others would be too difficult to make without him. He grabbed the bag and followed after him, pondering the question Sebastian had asked...'How far "would" he go to get what he wanted?'_

_They were almost back to the others when they heard a group of what sounded like teenagers coming out from between two half fallen buildings. They heard music playing and Blaine thought possibly they had a radio. They weren't able to duck out of sight before one of them spotted them. "Oh fuck" Sebastian said under his breath. "I'm not liking the feel of this group." _

_"Hey" The teenager shouted. "What you two doing out on a night like tonight?" He asked as the rest of them laughed. "Don't you fools know how dangerous it is out here?" They were a few feet away from Blaine and Sebastian when they stopped to eyeball them, sizing them up to see if they were easy prey. "What's in the bag?" One of the larger teens asked roughly, grinning as he turned to the group. "I'm pretty sure we're gonna want what's in the bag."_

_Blaine looked down at the bag, contemplating his options. He could just give up the bag in hope that they would take it and leave them alone, but it had taken so much for them to retrieve what little they had, and he hated the thought of the others going without food._

_"There's nothing in the bag you'd be interested in." Blaine said, trying not to show any fear. "We're just going to visit some friends, so if you'll excuse us..." He started to walk around the group of strangers, praying they would just let them by and that would be the end of it, but his prayer went unanswered as one of them grabbed at the bag, trying to snatch it from his hand. He held onto it, not willing to let it go that easy._

_"Come on dude." The teen said laughing. "You don't really wanna fight us over a tiny bag like this...do you?"_

_Sebastian's earlier question flashed in his mind. 'How far will you go to get what you want?' He only had a moment to consider it and before he even realized what he was doing, he reached for the gun and pulled it out, pointing it directly at the thug trying to steal his food, trying to steal his treasure. _

_"Get your hands off the bag asshole." He sneered. "Don't make me use this fucking thing." He was surprised at how calm he actually felt as he pointed the gun at the young man. He didn't know if he could possibly get himself to actually shoot someone with it, but he certainly wasn't having a problem threatening someone with it. _

_The guy backed off and raised his hands. "Whoa, okay dude...No need to be waving that thing around." He looked back at his posse nervously. "We don't want no trouble...just take your bag and get lost."_

_Blaine could hardly believe his threat was working. He almost smiled knowing he'd gotten away with his bluff. "Okay." He said, lowering the gun."But I want the radio."_

_The guy huffed. "What? No way dude, it's the only one we have."_

_Blaine raised the gun again and the girl holding the radio quickly handed it over. He grabbed it with his other hand and handed it to Sebastian, who was standing next to him in complete disbelief. _

_"Alright then.." Blaine said joking as they backed away from the group. "I think it's time you babies get home to your mommies...It's way past your bedtime."_

_As soon as they felt like there was enough distance between them, Blaine and Sebastian turned and ran like hell, not stopping until they were sure they were well out of sight. Blaine breathlessly leaned up against a building, realizing they had actually made it back to the others who were waiting just around the corner from them...at least he hoped they were still there, and that nothing, or no one, had gotten to them._

_Sebastian leaned against the wall in front of Blaine, also trying to catch his breath. "Well, I see my decision to stick with you was a wise one." He said trying to draw the air into his lungs. "You know, it's too bad you're not into me...You are so my type."_

_Blaine let out a short laugh as he smiled and headed toward the others, towards Kurt..."Yeah well, your loss." He quipped._

* * *

Finn and Rachel were awake when the two returned, happy to see they'd made it back in one piece and had food and a radio with them. Blaine watched as Finn devoured down a can of ravioli and Rachel daintily picked at the tuna. He saw the gummy bears in the bag and reached in for them, putting them in his pocket for a later time. He was getting warm by the fire and he knew that it would only take a second for him to doze off, but before he did he looked over and spied Kurt sleeping, curled up with Jason snuggled up behind him, his arm thrown around Kurt's waist. As he drifted off, he couldn't help but wonder if maybe Sebastian really could help him get what he wanted.


	10. Chapter 10

When Kurt woke he saw the daylight just starting to appear on the horizon. It was a welcomed sight, knowing they could leave the cold and dark dangers of the city behind them. He saw Finn standing at the fire that was now starting to die out. He carefully moved Jason's arm from around his waist, doing his best not to wake him. He and Finn gave a small smile to each other as Kurt walked over to him.

"Are you the only one awake to keep the fire going?" Kurt asked curiously.

"No, no." Finn replied. "Blaine's been up for a while...He just went around the corner to go pee." Finn stoked what little of the fire that remained. "Actually, he's been gone for quite a while...Could you go check on him? You know, you never know what you'll run into out there...but be careful." He said anxiously. "Like I said, I don't want the wrath of Burt Hummel if anything happens to you."

They both gave a muted laugh as Kurt went to check on Blaine. He found him sitting on a crate just around the corner, attempting to wrap his arm with the gauze he'd found in the store.

"You're not doing a very good job with that." Kurt said, standing in front of Blaine with his arms crossed. "It's gonna fall right off if you leave it like that."

Blaine looked up, surprised to see him, but also a bit excited. "Really?" He asked. "I thought I was doing a great job considering I only had one hand to do it."

Kurt sat on the crate next to him, grabbing the gauze. "Well, I have two hands, so why don't you let me do it for you"

Blaine smiled and put his arm out for Kurt to wrap. He watched as Kurt carefully folded the gauze around. "I don't want to hurt you." Kurt said concerned. Blaine looked at him, his eyes dancing with worry as he continued to cover the wound. He found himself fixated on Kurt's beautiful eyes as the dim light bounced off them. He truly had never seen such beauty, and he thought how wonderful it would be to see that every morning. Kurt's face had a glow about it that seemed almost angelic, and Blaine had an overwhelming urge to reach out and touch it, to feel the radiance of his skin. He lightly bit his lip trying to hold back his desire. Kurt noticed this "Oh, i'm sorry." He said worried. "D-Did I hurt you?"

"No." Blaine proclaimed quickly "No..I just...' He paused, not knowing what to say. He wanted to say _'I was just admiring how absolutely gorgeous you are',_ but again he held back. "Thank you Kurt...for taking care of my arm." He said smiling, but then quickly looked away, fearful that Kurt might actually be able to read what was really in his mind. "How's your thigh feeling?" He asked, reaching over to his coat and pulling out the pain killers. "I found these...I think they might help with the pain."

Kurt took the bottle from his hand. "Wow, yeah." He said excited. "This should really help." He looked at Blaine, grateful for his kind gesture. He noticed Blaine was acting somewhat "edgy', but he thought maybe he was just tired from the long night he had spent in the city. "Thank you Blaine" He said, looking into his eyes with sincerity. "For the pills, and for going out last night...and of course for saving my life. I'm really fortunate you happen to be in that library when the quake hit." Kurt's voice cracked with emotion. "You're my hero Blaine."

Once again Blaine found himself fixated on Kurt's eyes, drowning in them, sinking deeper and deeper with every word he spoke. There was no chance of holding back this time, no way to resist reaching up and caressing his fingertips over Kurt's pale smooth cheek, feeling the electricity that flowed between them, surging straight through his fingers, down his arm, his side, his legs, shooting back up to hit his heart with so much force it made him gasp, barely able to catch his breath again. All that from just one touch, leaving no doubt in Blaine's mind that he was falling fast and hard for Kurt Hummel.

Kurt felt the spark too, almost jumping back from Blaine's touch. He thought for a second that it might be an actual electrical shock he was feeling, but it wasn't, it was different. It went through his entire body quickly, leaving every nerve and muscle over-sensitive and shaky. He'd never felt that before and wondered if it might actually cause his heart to stop, as he too gasped for air. It was scary, but also euphoric and he didn't want it to end. He wanted to feel more, he _needed_ to feel more. He let it all leave his mind, the quake, the deaths, the cold, the uncertainty, and as he leaned in and gently pressed his lips against Blaine's, he even let Jason leave his mind.

Kurt's lips were warm and soft against his, just lightly grazing as he moved them to cover every spot. Blaine still caressing his cheek, then putting his palm on his chin to draw their lips slightly harder together, feeling the wetness, tasting Kurt's sweetness. He rolled his head to the side, wanting more friction, more pressure. Their lips sliding against each others now faster and more eager. Blaine caught his breath as Kurt applied even more pressure, causing their lips to slightly part, allowing their tongues to briefly connect, giving Blaine even more of the taste of him. He'd never felt or tasted anything so incredible in his life and his lips were on fire with the passion of it. He wanted more of Kurt's mouth, he wanted it all. He ran his tongue between Kurt's lips, hoping to encourage them to part once more if only for a second, just long enough to feel his hot breath, to quickly taste him again. To his delight it worked, as Kurt slowly opened up and their tongues once again collided, this time causing Kurt to catch his breath and even let out a quiet moan. It didn't take long before their mouths were fully open, tongues swirling, feverishly exploring to feel every spot of one another. Blaine's hand moved from Kurt's chin, running along to the back of his neck until his arm was completely around him, pulling him in as close as he could, not ever wanting the kiss to end.

"A-hem...Excuse me." They heard a voice say from the corner of the building. They quickly pulled away from each other, flustered and red from embarrassment. "Kurt...Blaine..Everyone was wondering where the two of you were...We've got the radio working and we're getting some news..Maybe you should join us." Rachel stood looking at them, one eyebrow cocked in a judgmental manner. Kurt knew that look, and he knew she'd have plenty to say about this when she got him alone.

They scurried to the back where everyone had gathered around the radio. The signal wasn't the greatest and it came across statically, but they were able to make out what was being said...

_**"It's been nearly twenty-four hours since the quake hit and from all reports no one is really sure how much damage or loss of life has occured. It's virtually impossible to get in or out of the city at this point, and no one is saying when communications or power will be restored. In all likelihood, not anytime soon. Law officials say they are doing their best to keep the survivors safe from the dangers the quake has left. Crumbling buildings and broken gas lines being their biggest concern. As you all know there was a good amount of looting and vandalism that occurred yesterday and throughout the night, but reports of that have died down now that everything has already been taken. Getting food and water to those in need is also of great concern, and the word on that is that they are in the process of mapping out a plan with both NYC officials and the National Guard, who have set up a post just outside the city, but as far as we know, nothing has been implemented as of yet. We are sure there was significant damage and more likely than not, significant loss of life, but all we can do now is pray for the survivors to endure until help is able to reach them. We will continue to relay any and all information that comes in. Until then...God bless.**_

They sat in silence for a moment, all trying to wrap their minds around what they'd just heard. They'd all hoped to hear better news, and didn't really feel as if they knew anymore now than they did before.

"Okay." Wes spoke up. "What's our plan? I mean, should we just stay here and hope that help comes soon? Or should we try and head out of the city?"

"We can't stay here for long." Sebastian said. "From what I seen out there last night, it won't be long before someone comes across us." He looked over at Blaine and smirked. "And you can ask badboy Blaine here just how badly that encounter could go down."

Blaine ignored Sebastian, not wanting to scare the others with horror stories of a city overcome by juvenile delinquents and armed gangs trolling the streets. "It sounds like it'll probably be quite a while before they can organized any real rescue effort." Blaine said. "I think maybe we should consider trying to make our way out...Trying to make it to that National Guard post they talked about. If we're careful and avoid some of the rougher parts of the city, we might be able to make it there before night fall."

"I think Blaine's right." Finn said. "Does everyone agree?"

Jason stepped forward. "I think we should stay...With all respect to Blaine and his brilliant plan, I don't think we should be listening to someone who hasn't even been here very long. Did we somehow decide that Blaine's our leader now?" He asked sarcastically. "Because I don't remember there being a vote on this."

Blaine could hear the resentment in Jason's voice, and he wondered if maybe it wasn't as much about their situation as it was about Kurt. He'd made a mistake hugging Kurt in front of Jason when he realized Kurt wasn't under the collapsed wall, and now he got the sense that Jason was aware of his interest in Kurt, his boyfriend. He didn't want to make things uncomfortable for Kurt. The kiss they'd shared was more than wonderful, but the fact still remained that Kurt wasn't his to be kissing.

"I haven't been here long." Blaine explained. "But I grew up in a city, and as far as I can see, this one isn't any different." He looked at Jason, trying not to sound condescending. "I've also been through a quake before, and I know how people react when they feel the fear and abandonment afterward. It can bring out the very best in some, and the very worst in others."

"Alright." Sebastian blurted out."If you're all done wasting my precious time with your useless banter, let's have a show of hands for all in favor of hightailing it out of this city, that come to find out is just like every other city in the good old U.S. of A.' He raised his arm high, nudging Wes' arm to do the same. Wes gave him a sneer, but raised his hand in favor. Slowly everyone raised their hand, leaving only Kurt and Jason with their arms at their side.

Blaine looked at Kurt. He could tell he was undecided as he rocked back and forth on his heels, nervously chewing on a fingernail. "Do you want to stay here Kurt?" He asked. "If you think we should stay, you should speak up...I want to hear what you have to say."

Kurt continued to rock nervously, looking back and forth between Jason and Blaine trying to weigh his options. He had no idea what the right thing for them to do was, so basically it all came down to trust. Who's hands was he going to put his life into, and what consequences would he have to pay for his decision.

"I think we should go." He said quietly, looking down at the ground. "I think we should do what Blaine suggested."

"Well then." Jason said, obviously not happy with Kurt's betrayal. "It looks like i'm out-numbered..but I want it on record that i'm against this." He turned to Blaine with a scornful look. "You better not get us all killed hotshot." He turned and walked away, and as he did, Blaine could see the hurt and conflict on Kurt's face. He hated the fact that Kurt was put in the middle, but as far as he was concerned, it was Jason who'd put him there.

"Great!" Sebastian shouted out. "Now get your sorry asses moving, we've got a lot of ground to cover and I don't want to spend a single second more with you imbeciles than I have to."

They let out a collective sigh as they left their little corner of the city. Setting out for what they were all sure would be, at the very least...an interesting journey.


	11. Chapter 11

They were feeling more exuberant from their nights rest, and the temperature had risen to a more comfortable level. It was still cold, but with no wind blowing it made it much more bearable. With the pain killers Blaine had given him, Kurt was walking better and able to keep up with the others easier than the day before. He walked along side Jason, neither speaking or looking at each other as they made their way around buildings and through back alleys. Kurt felt guilty for siding with Blaine over Jason, but his instincts had told him that Blaine's plan was the better plan, and there was a part of him that thought Jason even knew that. He was just going up against Blaine for dominance, like a male lion showing he wasn't going to simply let him take over the pride without a fight.

"Hey Jason. Do you mind if I take Kurt away from you for just a minute? I need to talk to him...You know, girl stuff." Rachel asked coming up along side them.

"No problem." Jason answered. "Just don't let him out of your sight. He has a tendency to wander off on his own." Jason smiled at them and walked ahead.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Rachel let him have it. "Are you crazy?" She asked as they continued to walk. "What the hell were you thinking? Hmm? Were you thinking _'Oh I think i'll kiss this guy while my boyfriend's right around the corner?' _Because yeah...that sounds logical. Did you hit your head in the quake or are just going through some kind of emotion breakdown? Because let me tell you, that's one of the stupidest things I've ever seen you do...and I've seen you do some pretty stupid things Kurt." She paused, but only to take a breath and continue. "I know that Blaine is a handsome guy, but I thought you loved Jason."

Kurt waited, making sure she was done with her tirade. "I do love Jason, Rachel...it's just.." He stopped walking to look at her. "I don't know what I was thinking." He was beginning to get flustered, and he knew trying to lie to her wouldn't work, she knew him too well. He whispered, "When i'm around Blaine I...I feel things and think things that I never have with Jason. I mean, Jason and I are great together, but with Blaine it's just...different."

"How do you know it's not just the craziness that's going on right now, all the drama and fear that's surrounding us?" She asked. "Do you really want to risk your relationship with Jason over a guy you just met, and probably feel indebted to for saving your life? You don't owe him anything Kurt...if that's what this is about."

He started walking, not wanting to lose track of the others. "It's not about that Rachel. The truth is I haven't even had five minutes to stop and think about it. Everything is going so fast it's making my head spin. For now I just want to concentrate on getting out of here." He looked ahead, he saw Jason, who was laughing and joking with Finn, then he looked at Blaine, walking alone with a confident stride, determined and focused. Two very different men, but both equally as kind and generous as the other. He took a deep breath as they jogged to catch up. He wasn't going to think about Blaine or Jason...at least not until they were all safely out of the city.

Sebastian walked up beside Blaine. "We have a problem at three o'clock." He said, tilting his head to the right.

Blaine didn't bother looking over, he'd spotted the group of thugs a while back. He had hoped they would disperse by the time they'd approached the area, but instead there seemed to be even more of them gathered together across from them. "These guys aren't gonna be like those little ones last night." Sebastian whispered. "I imagine at least one or two of them have a weapon."

Blaine whispered back. "So what's your best guess? Do we keep walking and pray they ignore us? Or do we run like fuck and pray we're all faster than them?"

Sebastian looked back at the others and smiled, then turned back to Blaine. "I think most of us can out run them, but i'm afraid fancy boy Kurt would just start prancing and they'd nab him...I think we can afford to lose one in the chase...maybe we should even send him out as a decoy." He joked.

Blaine was not amused with his inappropriate jokes. He stopped and looked at Sebastian with a stern face. "Nobody gets left behind, no matter what...and just so we're clear on that Sebastian..." He patted the inside pocket of his coat. "I'm the one carrying the protection, so don't fuck with me."

Sebastian chuckled. "Wow Blaine, you have no idea how much i'm turned on by you right now. You sure you won't reconsider and find a place where we can have some alone time."

Blaine wanted to punch the smirk of of his face, but he refrained. Instead he just grinned, "No thanks Sebastian, but i'm sure there might be one or two in that group of thugs that would be willing to accommodate you...Maybe we should use you as a decoy."

"Now you're just going to have to stop talking like that Blaine, before you get me so aroused I pop-up right here in front of everyone. That would be so embarrassing for both of us." He looked back at the others. "But because I find you so irresistible, i'll let you in on a little secret." He got up close to Blaine's ear. "There's someone in our pack that knows first hand what i'm like when I get aroused."

Blaine thought about it for a moment, but then quickly dismissed it. "We don't have time for this Sebastian, we need to decide what we're going to do about the gang, that as we speak, are coming closer and and looking a lot bigger."

Sebastian turned his head to check out the clique. There were about ten of them, and to him, not a one of them looked beatable. He set aside the game he was playing with Blaine, and got serious. "Okay, I don't think were going to be able to run." He licked his lips nervously. "I think we're going to go with diplomacy here...You go tell the others to keep their mouths shut and let me do the talking." Blaine turned to walk towards the others. "Whoa!" Sebastian said, grabbing his arm to stop him. "I think it would be a good idea if you let me handle the gun...just in case it's needed."

Blaine shook him off. "I think I handled the gun pretty well last night." He said angrily.

Sebastian looked even more serious than before, furling his brow and getting right up in Blaine's face. "Could you pull the trigger if you had to Blaine?...Or would you freeze?"

He didn't need to pull the trigger last night, and he was never more relieved when they walked away without him having to even deciding if he would. But Sebastian was right, this crowd was different, and definitely not the type to just let them walk away without a brawl. He wanted to just say, _'Of course I could do it if I had too', _but he knew he wasn't a hundred percent sure of that. He got up as close as he could, pulling out the gun from his pocket and slipping it into Sebastian's, careful not to let anyone see the transfer.

"Don't use it unless it's absolutely necessary Sebastian." Blaine said firmly. "Let's try to get through this without anyone getting hurt."

He walked away feeling unsure of his decision. He didn't like putting so much power in Sebastian's hands, but he also felt that if any of them would be able to use it without a second thought, it would be him. He talked to the others as the thugs started to approach, it almost seemed as if they were coming in like a pack of wolves, surrounding their prey, leaving no room for escape. They held their breath and continued to walk steadily as the gang neared. Blaine jolted when he heard a gun go off, but settled back when he realized it had come from a far distance, not from the band that was now right in front of them, and some even behind them.

Three guys stood in front of them, blocking their path like a brick wall. They all stopped dead in their tracks, waiting for the ball to drop and game to begin. Though they all knew they had very little chance against any off them.

"I see the lady's carrying a radio." One of the men said. "I don't have a radio, so maybe the misses would be kind enough to let me borrow hers."

Sebastian stood in front of the shorter, but brawnier man. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind that at all." He said, surprisingly calm. He reached behind him and took the radio out of Rachel's hand. "Keep it as long as you need.. We don't need it back."

The guy grabbed the radio and handed it off to one of his comrades. "Where you headed?" He asked.

"We're just heading west." Sebastian said, keeping it light. "You know, trying to find a place with power and food."

They all seemed to find that funny as they looked at each other and laughed. 'You really think there is such a place scarecrow?" The guy joked. "And when you find it are you gonna ask for a brain too?" They all laughed some more at their leader's clever wit. "And let me guess.." He said walking past Sebastian and standing in front of Jason. "You're gonna ask for courage, aren't you sissy boy?" Again they laughed. "And you.." He said, standing in front of Blaine. "You're gonna ask the wizard for a heart."

Blaine held his breath because he knew what was coming. He'd seen the movie enough times to know that next on the guys radar would be Rachel, the girl looking for a way home.

"And you.." the guy said, approaching Rachel, getting right up close to her face. "You must be looking for a home." He reached down and grabbed her chin. Finn yanked at his arm to push it away. "What's this?" The guy laughed. "Do you have a problem with me nicely asking the young lady if she'd like to come with me and see my home? It would be rude of me not to at least offer my hospitality."

Blaine looked over at Sebastian, hoping he was prepared for the melee to begin. He saw Sebastian's hand resting on his stomach, only inches away from the gun. Blaine felt somewhat better knowing he was poised and ready, but still hoping it wouldn't come to that.

"So, what do you say sweetheart." The guy said, again grabbing her chin. "Why don't you leave these losers on the yellow brick road and follow this wizard back where you belong?"

"Leave her alone." Finn yelled, pushing the man away from Rachel and standing in front of her to protect her.

Blaine closed his eyes briefly, knowing that when he opened them again he wouldn't like what he would see. He heard the thud before he actually saw it, as the man sucker-punched Finn in the gut. Finn bent over and groaned, but wouldn't step away from Rachel. Blaine knew what Finn would do to protect her, and there was no way he'd be able to do it on his own.

"Whoa..Okay, no need to start a fight here." Blaine said anxiously. "Why don't we all just go our separate ways and call it a day...Huh, whatta ya say?" He flashed a small smile, trying to keep things peaceful.

"I think the tin man's got a good idea." The guy said, looking around at his gang. "I think we will just call it a day." He looked up at Finn with a smiled. "As soon as your friend here lets me collect my woman...then i'll be on my way."

And that was the end of diplomacy as Finn wrenched his fist and slugged the guy in the face. Rachel screamed out, and the fists just started flying everywhere. Someone grabbed Jason's coat, turning him around and swinging at him. Jason surprised the guy, and even himself, as he was able to duck to avoid the blow. He kicked the guy in the shin and jumped on top of him. Blaine saw out the corner of his eye that Wes was in a headlock and fighting his way out of it, and Finn took a hit to his jaw and went down. There was a small wiry guy coming at him and he got ready to defend. The small guy swung, but didn't really even come close. Blaine quickly took the opportunity and punched the guy in the nose. Blood squirted out as the guy groaned and put his hand over it to stop it. There was so much going on, Blaine couldn't tell if his side was winning or losing. He scanned quickly looking for Sebastian, knowing that it was probably going to take more than a few lucky throws on their part to end this thing.

He wasn't able to spot Sebastian before a larger, stronger guy ran towards him, pushing him back against a brick wall, pinning him as he grabbed at the front of Blaine's coat and continued to pound him against the hard surface. Blaine reached for the guys face, trying to claw at him and push him away, but the guy was too strong. He shoved him hard again, and Blaine felt the wind go out of him and his stomach tighten, his body about ready to collapse from the assault. He saw the guys fist rise up, he closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable. He heard someone to the right of him scream "Stop" and when he opened his eyes he saw Kurt barreling into his attacker, forcing him to the ground. He was just about to help Kurt take care of the guy, when gunshots rang out.

They all froze for a moment, none of them knowing who was doing the shooting, and even more frightening, who was on the receiving end. There was an eerie silence as they all searched with their eyes for the culprit. Blaine heard a tiny whimper coming from not far away, and when he looked, he saw Rachel, tears running down her face as she stood over someone lying still on the ground. Blaine couldn't see who it was, but he had a sinking feeling it was one of their own.

Another shot rang out, and everybody turned to find Sebastian standing with the gun pointed in the air. "That's a fucking warning shot." He yelled loudly. "So unless you want to lose some brain matter today, I'd suggest you take off."

The leader of the gang seemed to make the call as he motioned to his clan to leave. Blaine was relieved that it only took one warning shot to make them back off, leaving him wondering why the fuck Sebastian hadn't done that when it first began.

As the gang made their way merrily down the street, oblivious to the pain they had caused, the small group stood in mourning as they tried to cope with the fact that the seven young, bright-eyed hopefuls that had started their journey that morning...was now down to just six.


	12. Chapter 12

_**I feel that I should put a warning on this chapter. There's emotional death involved, and also a bit of **__**smut. If either of these things bother you, or offend you, I urge you not to read this chapter. For those **__**that can handle these things, I hope you enjoy. Thanks**_

* * *

"Why the fuck didn't you take the gun out sooner?" Blaine screamed, pushing Sebastian hard against the chest, causing him to stumble backward. Blaine's emotions and anger were boiling over and, if it weren't for Kurt grabbing him from behind to stop him, he probably would have beat the shit out of Sebastian. "You could have stopped this." He yelled, his voice cracking as the pain and sadness filled him. "He didn't have to die...You could have stopped it."

He'd had enough. All the horrors and tragedy he'd seen since the quake caught up to him, spewing out like lava as he went to his knees and wept. Sebastian didn't say anything, he just shook his head and walked away. Kurt looked down at the man, that before now, had shown such strength and stability, now looking broken and fragile. Kurt couldn't help but think that it was about time. No human could go through this without letting it out at some point, no human should. Blaine just watched his good friend die, and if that wasn't enough to break someone, Kurt didn't know what was. Kurt didn't care at that moment who was watching, or who it might upset. He knelt down in front of Blaine and wrapped his arms around him, holding him tight as he continued to cry. Kurt's heart ached for him, wishing he could take his pain away, but there really wasn't much he could say or do, so he just held him, doing his best to comfort him.

Blaine felt Kurt's arms around him, and instantly started feeling better. He was filled with such sorrow as he watched his good friend Wes die right in front of him. He'd vowed he wouldn't let anyone get hurt, but he had failed. And now, as he rested his head on Kurt's shoulder trying to stop his emotions from getting the best of him, he was filled with fear and dread at who might be next. _'What if it's Kurt?' _He thought to himself. _'What if Kurt dies and it's all my fault?'_ It was his plan to leave the safety of their shelter behind the store, and now because of that decision Wes was dead, and Kurt could be next. He squeezed his eyes shut tight, not wanting to even consider that possibility.

Blaine had calmed as Kurt held him, now just melting into him as he peacefully rested in his arms. Kurt saw the others were carrying Wes behind the building as Rachel searched for something to cover him. They were all in shock over what had happened, and no one spoke as they all tried to come to terms with it.

"Kurt" Blaine said softly, still resting on his shoulder. "Wes was a really great guy." He sniffled. "He was the first friend I made when I came here." He pulled back a little, hanging his head in front of Kurt. "Actually, he's the only friend I've made since I came here."

"I didn't really know him, but it was pretty obvious he was a great guy...one of the best." Kurt said, sliding his hands to Blaine's cheeks and cupping his face. "And we're always going to remember him that way, as someone who was kind and helpful and would do anything for a friend...and would even help a stranger if needed. He won't be forgotten, Blaine...We won't let him be forgotten."

Blaine looked warmly at Kurt. Despite his sadness and fear, when he looked into Kurt's eyes and listened to his sweet voice, it all just seemed to disappear, leaving him with hope that they might actually make it through all of this. No one had ever been able to calm him and make him feel as secure as Kurt was able to, and Blaine was grateful he was there now, when he was at his lowest.

Blaine tried to smile, but it didn't really work. He was feeling better, but he was still angry and confused. He wanted to say something to Kurt, thank him for being there, for comforting him, but he couldn't find the words. As he fell deep into Kurt's eyes again, he knew there was only one way to express what he was feeling. He placed his hands on Kurt's cheeks, mirroring him...then gently kissed him.

Once again the electricity shot between them as Kurt felt Blaine's lips on his. He closed his eyes, taking it all in, every millisecond that he could before drawing back. It was almost painful to pull away, but Kurt knew that he had to. The others weren't far away, and he couldn't take the risk that Jason would come around the corner and see them. It was bad enough that he'd seen him put his arms around Blaine to comfort him. He was sure he'd have something to say about that when he got him alone. Not that he could blame Jason, he had good reason to be jealous.

Kurt quickly wiped a couple of remaining tears from under Blaine's eyes. Then without saying anymore to each other, they stood up and headed towards the back of the building, on their way to say goodbye to a fallen friend.

They paid their respects to Wes as Blaine said a few kind words about him, then all joining in on the lord's prayer. Except Sebastian who was standing off to the side, telling them they were all idiots for wasting his time praying over a dead body. They were quiet and solemn as they walked away, sorry that Wes had paid so dearly for their decision, and praying that no one else would suffer the same fate.

"There's a place not far from here that we can rest and eat something." Finn said as they walked past an elderly couple fighting over which direction their grandson lived. Finn gave his crooked smile, thinking to himself that despite all the things that had happened in that city in the last two days, some things never change. "It's a closed down diner that my partner and I used to have to search for homeless people camping out in." He frowned recalling the time he had to force a family with two small children out of there. He didn't want to, but he had no choice.

"Will it be safe?" Jason asked.

"As safe as anywhere else seems to be." Finn replied.

Blaine spoke up. "Okay, I think that's a good idea. We could all use something to eat...lead the way Finn."

They didn't have to go very far before reaching the diner. It was a small place that hadn't been used in years. It was dusty, but other than that it was surprisingly in order. Most of the tables and chairs still intact, and not much litter sprawled around. Finn said it was because when the homeless would use it as a temporary shelter, they would often clean it up. Sebastian and Jason went to check out the kitchen and storage spaces in the back, while Finn and Blaine went to look for food. Kurt and Rachel stayed in the front dusting off the furniture, it was just busy work, but it made them feel at least somewhat useful.

* * *

_"It looks like with the exception of a few rats, we're all alone in this dive." Sebastian said as they walked through the kitchen and into the storage room. Jason wasn't sure if Sebastian was referring to the others, or if he'd actually seen some rats. As they walked into the storage room, Sebastian closed the door behind them. Jason turned to question his motives on that, but before he even got the chance Sebastian was on him, pushing him against the wall and kissing him hard on the mouth, already darting his tongue in and out and biting roughly on Jason's bottom lip. "Stop" Jason breathed out through the kiss. "You're gonna make my lip bleed."_

_Sebastian stopped and smiled at him. "You know you like it rough Jason." He grabbed Jason's wrists and pinned them to the wall above his head. "You didn't complain the last time we were together."_

_"Actually, I did complain. You just weren't listening...I told you, no marks because Kurt will see them" Jason said, then leaned in and kissed Sebastian, this time being the dominate one._

_Sebastian let out a low groan as Jason slid his tongue in deep, trying to be the one in control of things. He didn't keep control long as Sebastian went for his neck, nibbling and licking in a particularly sensitive spot, causing Jason to moan louder than he should._

_Sebastian chuckled at his response. "You better keep it down sexy, or that boyfriend of yours is going to hear what you really sound like when you're turned on." he said, continuing to gnaw at his neck. "We don't need him coming in and ruining the party." He stopped and looked at Jason smugly. "Unless that's what you want." He ran his hand down Jason's arms, down his chest, stopping just above the pant line, then back up to unbutton his coat and open it wide, then once again running his hands over Jason's chest, rubbing harder as he went on. "Maybe you'd like Kurt to come in and join us...I've told you many times I'd be up for that._

_"Kurt's too good for both of us." Jason said, reaching up to unzip Sebastian's coat, reaching in and lifting his shirt to rub his hand against his warm skin, sliding it around to his back and pulling him closer, then whispering harshly in his ear. "Don't ever mention Kurt's name when were together again." _

_Sebastian smirked as he lightly thrust forward into Jason's groin, both their cocks now hard against each other. He moved his hips slowly and Jason sighed heavy, tilting his head back and closing his eyes, enjoying the friction between them. "Mmm" Jason mumbled as Sebastian increased the pressure and pace of his gyrating. "Ahh" Jason moaned out. "We have to hurry...we don't have much time before they come looking for us."_

_Sebastian didn't waste any time, running his fingers down and undoing Jason's pants, reaching in and palming him over his boxers. "Mmm" Jason hummed, thrusting his hips forward to feel more contact. Sebastian pulled the waistband of the boxers down, freeing Jason's cock, quickly putting his hand around it and slowly rubbing up and down, thumbing the head with every stroke. "Ahh...Mmm" Jason moaned, eyes still closed as he tried shoving his cock through Sebastian's hand, wanting it harder and faster. He reached down and unzipped Sebastian's pants, palming him briefly before lowering his briefs and gently gripping his cock to give the same treatment he was receiving._

_Sebastian leaned in and kissed him, wet and hot, as both men's breathing picked up. Their hands now in a steady rhythm together as they jerked each other off, quietly moaning and gasping through their heated kiss as both neared climax. Jason broke the kiss, throwing his head back, panting heavily as he came. "Ahh..Yeah, yeah...Mmm." he groaned as he shot off, almost forgetting to finish Sebastian off. He collected himself and continued to stroke Sebastian hard until he mumbled out."Oh yeah, yes...Oh fuck..Jason..Ahhh." Jason stroked him through his orgasm as both men came down from their high. "Well, it was just a hand job.." Sebastian said, putting himself back in his pants and zipping up. "But it was better than nothing...Thanks a lot pal." He winked then turned and walked out of the storage room, leaving Jason alone with his guilt and shame._

* * *

Finn and Blaine returned with the food, it wasn't much, but there was enough to at least give them all a bit more energy to travel on. Everyone sat silent as they ate, the thought of Wes still weighing heavy on their minds. The food was helping with their physical state, but was doing very little for their mental state. Their nerves were frayed and psyche nearly destroyed by the recent events... they needed a release, and Sebastian thought he had something that just might do the trick.

"You people are depressing the fuck out of me" Sebastian declared, standing up on one of the tables. "So, in an attempt to liven things up, and possibly keep at least a little of my sanity...I give you this.." He reached into his jacket and pulled out a small portable radio.

Rachel jumped up, snatching the radio from Sebastian's hand and inspecting it. "Oh my god, this is ancient." She said, trying to determine how to even turn the thing on. "Do they even make these anymore?"

Blaine looked at it closely. 'I doubt it." He said, finding the on button and pressing it. "But if it works we can get more news."

"No." Sebastian said, still standing on the table. "We'll listen to the news later." He jumped down and grabbed the radio. "But first we're going to listen to a little music." He played with it, trying to get a signal. "I have to do something to bring you pathetic cry babies out of this funk before I end up in prison for going psycho and taking you all out."

They looked at each other, none of them sure if they should stop him or just play along. Given that nobody immediately jumped up to protest, they sat back and accepted the fact that they were about to suffer through Sebastian's evil plot to cheer them up. When he finally found a signal and turned the volume up, some of them even started believing that it might actually work...and some worried that it would only make things worse.


	13. Chapter 13

_**I have to admit, this was somewhat of an indulgent chapter on my part. Something I wanted to include **__**before the more intense material that will be in the upcoming chapters. Thanks for reading...and enjoy!**_

* * *

The station that came through was an oldie's, playing music from the seventies and eighties, but they didn't really mind. Rachel and Kurt smiled at each other because, thanks to glee and Mr. Schuester, they new most of the songs. Most of them sang along, with the exception of Jason who said he couldn't hold a note. Kurt laughed at him, telling the others he was right. Finn really got into it, playing air-drums along with a classic Stones tune. Everyone was actually starting to relax, at least a little bit. Even Sebastian seemed to be enjoying himself, grabbing a water bottle and singing into it like a microphone. It was as if the music running through them was allowing them to briefly put aside the sorrow and the fears that waited just outside the crumbling walls of their temporary haven.

Finn grabbed Rachel's hand, pulling her from her seat to dance with him. They smiled and laughed as they rocked back and forth to a Madonna song, Finn twirling her until she was dizzy and ready to fall. He put his arms around her when the song ended, tenderly kissing her. Kurt looked on as Finn led his lady back to her seat. It felt good to see them smile, and without even realizing it, he found himself smiling wider than he'd smiled in a long time. Certainly he hadn't smiled much in the past couple of days, but it had been even longer than that since he'd felt like smiling. It wasn't until that moment that it occurred to him that he really hadn't smiled like that in months. He thought he was happy with his life, with Jason, but now he was starting to wonder if he wasn't just settling for the familiarity of their relationship.

"Dance with me." Jason said excitedly when the song from 'Footloose' came on. Kurt couldn't remember who the artist was on that song, but he did like the beat of it. He agreed, jumping up and instantly moving his feet and hips to the music. Although Jason couldn't sing, he could dance better than anyone Kurt ever danced with before, and he struggled to keep up with his moves. Finn and Rachel joined them, and the four all danced in a circle together as the song went on.

Sebastian walked over and grabbed Blaine's arm, forcing him to stand. "Come on short stuff." He said, dragging him over to the others. "Let's show these wanna-be dancers how it's really done."

Blaine tried to refuse, but even the others jumped in on him, encouraging him to join in the fun. When he glanced quickly at Kurt and noticed even he had an encouraging look on his face, he couldn't help but to start moving and singing with the others. They were all circling around each other, laughing and spinning, momentarily letting go of the horrors they'd seen. At one point Sebastian had come up behind Blaine, rubbing up against him, but he was able to quickly move way, leaving Sebastian with a disappointed look on his face. Blaine only grinned back at him, letting him know he would have no part of that.

They were all into so much, no one even seemed to notice when the song changed over to Phil Collin's "In The Air Tonight". It was a slower, more provocative beat as they gradually adjusted their movements to match the rhythm, Rachel and Kurt giggling as they playfully grooved their bodies together. The sight of Kurt's gyrating hips wasn't lost on Blaine and he caught himself staring lustfully at him as he swiveled his ass against Rachel while the two continued to play. He knew he should look away before someone noticed his stare, but he couldn't. He was glued to Kurt's every move, watching hungrily as Kurt threw his arms above his head and rolled his body, lips mouthing the words with a suggestive look, directing it right at Blaine_...'I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh lord...And I've been waiting for this moment for all my life, oh lord...Can you feel it coming in the air tonight, oh lord, oh lord'. _

Blaine feared he'd lose all control over himself and run over to Kurt, grabbing his waist, slamming their bodies together to feel every inch of him as they slid up and down each other to the music. He was both relieved and disappointed when the song ended. he smiled to himself as he walked back to his chair, knowing that the imagine of Kurt dancing to that song would be something he'd use to gratify himself when he got the chance.

"I know" Rachel said, jumping and squirming anxiously. "We should have a Diva-Off...You know Kurt, like we used to in glee club."

"No..No." Kurt protested shyly. "I don't think that's a good idea Rachel." He smirked and gently rubbed her arm. "Besides, you know I would win and crush your spirit...and I wouldn't want to put you through that agony."

She smirked back. "I think you're just afraid to be showed up by a girl in front of all your friends" She said, patting him on the back.

"Hold on." Sebastian said, walking over to Kurt. "Are you going to let her get away with that trash talk?" He asked slyly. "Or is the obnoxious brat right? Are you too chicken to go up against a girl? I mean really Kurt, you shouldn't be...you sound like a girl yourself."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at Sebastian's weak attempt at an insult. He'd come to accept his high pitched voice long ago, and even was praised many times for it's uniqueness. But Rachel's challenge was starting to appeal to him, to at least show Sebastian Smythe what a truly gifted singer sounded like.

"Fine." He huffed. "Rachel, you sing the next song and I'll sing the one after that...No passes or switchies, you have to sing whatever comes up."

Rachel smiled joyfully. "Ohh, this is going to be so exciting." She chirped. "Just like old times, Kurt."

She stood in front of everyone, patiently waiting for the next song to come on. Kurt could see the twinkle in her eye she always got when she was about to perform. He was glad to see it was still there despite what they'd gone through. The next song started and Kurt slid down in his seat and covered his face in defeat. She opened her mouth and beautifully belted out the words to Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On'. Kurt listened as she didn't miss one key, didn't falter on the high notes. He was doomed, and seriously considered forfeiting all together.

They gave her a standing ovation when she finished, and she took a bow. "Thank you...Thank you all." She said tearfully, though Kurt knew the tears were just part of her routine performance. "Okay Kurt, you're up...break a leg.." She said, throwing him a smile. Kurt was actually touched by her sentiment, knowing she really did want him to do well...just not as well as she did.

He stood in front of them, not really nervous because many of them had heard him sing plenty of times before, but as he looked out at his waiting audience and saw Blaine looking at him in excited anticipation, his stomach tighten just a bit. The music started and he flinched when he heard the song. He'd never sang it before and he didn't think it was a good song for his voice, but he at least had heard the song, and knew the words. So he sang...

_Where have all the good men gone_

_And where are all the gods?_

_Where's the street-wise Hercules_

_To fight the rising odds?_

_Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?_

_Late at night I toss and I turn and I dream_

_of what I need_

_I need a hero_

_I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night_

_He's gotta be strong_

_And he's gotta be fast_

_And he's gotta be fresh from the fight_

_I need a hero_

_I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light_

_He's gotta be sure_

_And it's gotta be soon_

_And he's gotta be larger than life_

_Somewhere after midnight_

_In my wildest fantasy_

_Somewhere just beyond my reach_

_There's someone reaching back for me_

_Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat_

_It's gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet_

_I need a hero_

_I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night_

_He's gotta be strong_

_And he's gotta be fast_

_And he's gotta be fresh from the fight_

_I need a hero_

_I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light_

_He's gotta be sure_

_And it's gotta be soon_

_And he's gotta be larger than life_

_Up where the mountains meet the heavens above_

_Out where the lightning splits the sea_

_I could swear that there's someone somewhere_

_Watching me_

_Through the wind and the chill and the rain_

_And the storm and the flood_

_I can feel his approach_

_Like the fire in my blood_

_I need a hero..._

When he finished, he stood before his fans awaiting his ovation and cheers of praise...but there were none, not even one single clap could be heard. He looked at them in wonder. Had he really sounded so horrible they couldn't even bring themselves to indulge him just a little applause? He thought he'd done fairly well given the song that was forced on him. He looked at them as they just sat before him in shook, jaws open wide, eyes popping. Maybe he had done so well they were speechless, he thought to himself. He smiled nervously, waiting for someone to say something...anything.

"Well that was entertaining." Sebastian shouted out as he stood and walked over to Kurt. "You really do have quite a set of pipes on you Hummel." He leaned closer and whispered in his ear. "Maybe next time you should try singing to the whole audience rather than just one short, dark, curl haired fella you got a boner for." He walked away, leaving Kurt confused.

"Okay then." Rachel said, jumping from her chair and rushing over to Kurt. "I think we're just going to call that a tie." She smiled nervously at the group as she hurriedly dragged Kurt over behind the counter to talk to him.

"Rachel, what is going on?" He asked anxiously. "Why is everyone looking at me all weird like that?"

As soon as she was sure no one could hear them, she whispered. "Um...Kurt, do you really think it was a good idea to be singing to another guy with your boyfriend sitting right next to him? What were you thinking?"

"W-What do you mean?" He asked confused. "I don't understand"

"Kurt." She said quietly. "You didn't take your eyes off Blaine the entire song." She looked over at the group anxiously, then back at Kurt. "It was very obvious to me and everyone else...including Jason, that you were singing that song for Blaine."

Kurt thought about it, he'd been so into the song he hadn't noticed what he was doing. He swallowed hard, realizing that without meaning to, at least not consciously, he'd directed his attention toward Blaine while singing. He looked over at Jason, who sat slumped in his chair with his arms crossed, not looking very pleased. Then he looked at Blaine, nervously fidgeting in his seat, trying not to make eye contact with anyone. He screwed up. He knew it would take a lot of fast talk to get out of this one, if that was even possible. He sighed heavy and walked toward Jason, still not sure exactly what he would say to erase his mistake.

He sat down next to Jason, who wouldn't even begin to look at him. Kurt hated that he'd made him feel this way. He didn't deserve to be disrespected and humiliated like that. He was just about to apologize when a news bulletin came across on the radio..

* * *

_**With everything the city already has to deal with, the news from the National Weather Service confirming a major snow storm approaching the area, is just one more problem the people of New York are going to have to face. We talked with authorities who say they have yet to be able to reach most areas since the quake hit, and most of the city is still without power or communication. The National Guard is still working on their plans for rescue and evacuation, but there's been no word on whether they have begun any formal operation. They're saying that everyone in the city should prepare themselves with shelter and food if possible, and avoid venturing out until the storm has passed. We will bring you any information we receive from both the NWS and the National Guard as it comes in. We urge everyone to stay safe as this storm goes through.**_


	14. Chapter 14

The room was quiet for a minute as they all tried to figure out what this latest news meant for them. A snowstorm was the last thing they expected, and the last thing they needed to complicate things even more. As they were dancing and enjoying themselves, none of them had noticed the clouds rolling in. The sky was dark, much darker than it should be for that time of day. Once the news sank in, they all seemed to turn to Blaine to tell them their next move. He didn't know how or when it came to be, but they had began to look at him as the leader, and he wasn't very happy being in that position, especially after what had happened to Wes.

"Why are you looking at me?" He asked them casually. "I have no idea what we should do." He did, but he didn't want to be the one to make that decision.

"Someone has to decide." Rachel proclaimed. "What do we do? Should we stay or should we go?"

Blaine sighed and looked down at the floor. She was right, someone had to decide, and from the looks of it, they were pretty much set on that someone being him. "We'll stay here for the night." He said, pausing to see if anyone objected. When no one did, he continued. "Keeping warm is going to be a problem, we can't exactly build a fire in here...and we're going to need more water, and maybe even more food." He turned to Finn and Sebastian. "You two go out and and get what you can find...and try to find some blankets or sheets, anything we can use to cover ourselves." He turned to the rest of them. "That's really all we can do...we'll just stay put until the storm passes."

They all agreed with Blaine's plan, and Finn and Sebastian headed out, hoping to get back before the storm hit. The others just puttered around the diner as they patiently waited for their return. Kurt saw Jason grab the flashlight and head for the bathroom, so he followed him. He needed to talk to him about what had happened while he sang his song, although he was still unsure of how he was going to explain himself.

"I need to talk to you." Kurt said anxiously as he trailed behind Jason. "I need to explain."

"There's no need to explain anything Kurt." Jason said angrily. "I think you made yourself pretty obvious when you were singing to lover boy." He walked into the bathroom and Kurt followed.

"Jason." He stated excitedly. "It's not like that...I wasn't even aware I was doing that..I-I was just into the song that's all...You know how I get when I sing..I've sang to the refrigerator before...remember."

Jason unzipped his pants to use the urinal. He let out a small chuckle. "Yeah well, that's because you were singing 'Hungry Eyes" by Eric Carmen..and by the way.." He zipped his pants and turned toward Kurt. "I've never been able to look at that refrigerator the same way since."

They both laughed a little, and Kurt felt that maybe Jason was starting to loosen up about it all. "You can't have the refrigerator." Kurt joked. "That babies my back up plan if we don't work out."

Jason's face turned serious. "Are you sure Blaine Anderson isn't your back up plan." He asked.

Kurt looked at Jason. He saw the hurt in his eyes, and the guilt swelled up inside of him. He didn't want to hurt him. Jason had been good to him the entire time they'd been together, and he didn't deserve to be cheated on or lied to, and now, with the emotions of the tragedies they'd seen, was definitely not the time to break his heart. He reached for Jason's hands, holding them tight.

"I love you Jason." He said earnestly. "I don't want a back up plan...I just want you." He leaned in and kissed him tenderly on the lips, wanting to show him how much he loved him. Jason responded, putting his hand to the back of Kurt's head and drawing him in, pressing up hard against his lips. Kurt lightly moaned as Jason moved their lips apart and stuck his tongue in, gently licking and nibbling on him. Kurt didn't feel the electricity he'd felt with Blaine, but there were feelings none the less, so he gave what he could to Jason, passionately kissing him with everything he had.

Jason's tongue was going wild in his mouth as Kurt grabbed his waist and pulled him closer. They were in the midst of their passion, when a loud noise coming from the front of the diner jolted them out of it. "What the fuck was that?" Jason asked nervously. Kurt shook his head, confused. They quickly ran out toward the front, fearful of what they might find.

"What happened?" Kurt asked Rachel breathlessly. What he saw was Blaine pushing a table in front of the entrance, attempting to block it. There was another loud thud, and Kurt could hear laughter coming from outside. "What's going on out there?" He asked, voice shaky. He knew whatever it was, it probably wasn't good.

"There's a small group of them out there" Blaine replied, shoving the table into the door. "They're throwing bricks and things at the building trying to scare us...They spotted me and Rachel through the window."

There was a couple of more thuds, followed by the sound of breaking glass. One of the bricks came through the window, landing at Rachel's feet. Kurt grabbed her, pulling her back to shield her from anymore of the assault.

"Fuck!" Blaine yelled, trying to figure a way out of their dangerous situation. He nervously scratched his head in thought. "Okay." He said, grabbing the flashlight from Jason's hand. "The only thing we can do is hide out in the back and hope they leave without an incident."

They looked at each other momentarily, then followed their leader to the back of the diner. Blaine saw the storage room. "We'll hide in there" He said, unsure of his decision. "At least there's no windows in there for them to break."

Kurt noticed Blaine's uncertainty and could see the stress of having this decision rest on him and him alone, was overwhelming him. "Blaine's right." Kurt said, trying to sound confident. "That's the safest place for us...let's go." He led the way in with the others right behind him. They closed the door, that to Blaine's relief, had a handle lock on it. It wasn't much to protect them, he thought, but it was better than no lock at all. They all stood quietly, listening for any sign of their attackers. It stayed calm for a few minutes, until they could hear the same pounding and occasional breaking of glass as they had before. Kurt put his arm around Rachel who was silent, but shaking with fear. He wanted to be brave for her and not show his fear, but it became harder to hide as the noises became louder and closer.

Jason rested his back to the wall. He was trying to block out the pounding from outside, as well as the rapid sound of his own heartbeat. He recalled the last time he'd been in that room, when it was just him and Sebastian. Despite his guilt and shame over it, he was glad that, if this was the end for him, that he had that time alone with Sebastian. They had been carrying on like that together almost from the day they'd met months ago, and even though Sebastian was often crude and mean, there was a part of Jason that found himself very attracted to that. He never intended on cheating on Kurt, he loved him, but when Sebastian showed up at the apartment one night when Kurt was out, things just kind of happened. He felt disgusted with himself afterward, and vowed never to do it again, but Sebastian had a way of making him forget his commitment to Kurt, and continued to pursue him every chance he got, and Jason just wasn't able to resist him.

They could tell by the sounds that the group had made their way inside the diner. They heard their laughter and shouting getting closer and closer, and everyone held their breath. Blaine closed his eyes, trying to determine what he would do if they broke through the storage room door. He had no way of knowing if they had weapons or not, so he went on the assumption that they didn't, although in the back of his mind he knew that assumption could very well be wrong. He would fight with everything he had, he thought to himself, there was no way he was going down without a fight, and there was no way he'd let them near Kurt and Rachel if he could stop them. They heard the pounding on the storage room door and someone attempting to open it. They all took a step back...and braced themselves.

* * *

_"I'm not carring all this shit back by myself, Sebastian." Finn said as he struggled with the items in his arms. "You're gonna have to help me." They had found various items, food, a few water bottles they were able to buy for a small fortune from someone on the streets, they even got a few blankets from a nice couple that were out giving away things to people in need. Finn was regenerated after coming across them, being reminded of the good in people rather than so much of the bad he'd seen._

_"Fine, you little weakling." Sebastian complained, grabbing a few items from his arms. "How does that woman of yours put up with all your whining? My guess is that she wears the pants in that relationship. She's got you whipped so hard I bet you even started menstruating."_

_Finn ignored him, partially because he was being a dick, and partially because he almost had to agree with him. They hadn't been gone long, and Finn just wanted to hurry back to the others, back to Rachel, to make sure they were alright. He hated leaving her like that, knowing how scared and worried she would be. As they approached the diner, Sebastian yanked Finn's arm roughly and dragged him into an alley._

_"W-What the fuck are you doing?" Finn asked, confused. "We have to get back."_

_Sebastian looked anxiously around the corner of the building. then back at Finn. He'd seen a couple of people standing outside the diner as they were walking towards it, and he was hoping there was nothing to it, but as they got nearer, he saw a few more had joined them, and it looked like they were about to start trouble. He patted the outside of his coat, feeling the gun securely in his pocket._

_"It's showtime again Finnie-boy." Sebastian said. "We're gonna have to go into fighting mode. Do you think for the time being you can stop pms'ing long enough to be the copper you were trained to be? I'd really like to get through it this time without one of us dying." He chuckled a little as he peeked around the corner again. "Although Jason probably wouldn't mind if they popped off the little hobbit that's moving in on his fairy princess."_

_Again, Finn ignored him, he was too busy worrying about Rachel to care much about what the douche was saying. He dropped the items he was carrying and stood next to Sebastian as they both eyed the group outside the diner, that were now getting rowdy and throwing things at the building. They weren't the hardened thugs they had went up against earlier, but they weren't innocent looking kids either. Finn hoped they were just bored wanderers, looking to have a little fun before move on, but his hopes were fading as they saw the group enter the diner._

_"Here we go." Sebastian said, walking out of the alley toward the diner. "It's time to rumble." As they made their way there, Finn could't help but wonder why Sebastian was even doing this. He could easily just walk away and let the others fend for themselves, but instead he was risking his life for them. It was certainly out of character for him to do so, and Finn was more than a little curious of his motives. They reached the diner and quietly edged their way in, not wanting to be heard by the intruders. "They're in the back." Sebastian whispered to Finn, and motioned for him to follow._

* * *

They were banging on the storage room door, jiggling the handle, roughly trying to break in. Rachel let out a muted yelp as the door started to give way. Kurt held her close, as he also prepared himself to defend as best he could. He had no idea who or how many were behind that door, but he clenched his fist, ready to swing at the first strangers face he saw. Blaine stood in a defensive stance as he waited to pounce, trying to keep his nerves in check and not freeze the minute the door opened. He looked at the door, and he knew that with just one more heavy push, they'd be on top of them. His muscles tightened, ready to attack, but just as the door swung wide open from their heave, a shot rang out...and then another.

Everything happened quickly. The group of about seven men turned to face the shots. There was someone moaning on the floor as another lie still next to him. The men didn't say anything, they just bolted from the diner, not seeming to be bothered with the fact they were leaving one of their friends behind. As the four walked out of the storage room and into the kitchen, they were once again struck with the horror that they might lose yet another one of their own.


	15. Chapter 15

"Sebastian" Jason yelled, running over and kneeling down beside him "Oh my god, you've been shot."

Sebastian groaned, leaning back against the wall with his hand covering his left shoulder. "Really Jason?" He said sharply. "Was it the blood pouring out of my shoulder that gave it away? Or are you just psychic?"

"Take your coat off and let me see it." Jason said nervously. "We gotta stop the bleeding before you bleed to death."

Sebastian laughed, then moaned from the pain it caused. "Now's not the time to try and get me naked Jason" He said sarcastically. "I'm a little busy bleeding to death to get it on right now."

Jason bit his lip, holding back the urge to chastise Sebastian for talking like that in front of Kurt. "Stop joking around and let me see it." He said angrily.

Finn stood a few feet away, staring down at the body that laid in front of him. Rachel ran over to him. "Finn, are you okay, honey?" She asked anxiously. "You didn't get shot did you?"

Finn mindlessly shook his head, not saying anything as he continued staring at the stranger he had just shot. The gun was still firm in his shaky hand, and Rachel reached down to carefully take it from him. Kurt knelt down at the stranger's side and checked to see if he was still alive, although everyone knew because of the severity of his head wound, he probably wasn't.

Finn stood motionless as Kurt looked up at him and shook his head. He didn't know which he needed to do more at that moment, cry or vomit, so he ran into the storage room and did both. Rachel stayed with him, doing her best to comfort him as he sobbed.

Blaine looked at Kurt. "We have to get the body out of here." He said stoically. "We can't leave it in here"

Kurt wasn't happy about having to touch the dead body again, but he knew Blaine was right. They quickly dragged it outside to the back alley. They started to walk away, but Blaine turned back. "What are you doing?" Kurt asked curiously. Blaine didn't say anything, he knelt down and took off the dead guys coat, gently placing it over the man's face to cover it.

"He probably wasn't a good guy." Blaine said, turning back to Kurt. "But nobody should be left like that."

Kurt could see the sheer agony in Blaine's eyes over everything that had happened. He wanted to comfort him and let him know that he believed they were all going to be alright. The problem was, he was having a hard time convincing himself of that.

"Blaine" He said, standing in front of him. "We're going to get through this...By this time tomorrow it'll be over and we'll all go back to our safe and happy little lives." He gave a small smile, hoping to convince both of them that it was true.

"Is that what you want, Kurt?" Blaine asked quietly, reaching up and tenderly caressing Kurt's cheek. "Do you want to go back to your safe and happy little life?" He looked deep into Kurt's eyes and waited for his response.

Kurt hesitated, he knew what Blaine was trying to ask him, but he had no idea how to answer. He fumbled with his words. "I-I want to be happy...I want everyone to be happy"

"Of course you do" Blaine said, moving his hand from Kurt's cheek to his hair, gently running his fingers through it. "I think you know what i'm asking Kurt."

Kurt wanted to reach out and grab him, put his arms tightly around him and say _'I want to be happy with you, Blaine. That's what I really want'. _Instead he swallowed the lump in his throat and quietly said, "I know what you're asking Blaine...I just don't think I can answer that." He turned and headed back into the diner, leaving Blaine standing alone with his pain.

Finn had recovered enough from his shock to tell them what had happened. He said that he and Sebastian saw the group of guys go into the diner, so they carefully followed after them. When they got to the kitchen, they saw the group trying to bash in the storage room door. They assumed that's where everyone was hiding, so they had to act fast to try and stop them from getting in there. Sebastian took the gun out of his pocket and they quietly walked up behind them. One of the guys spotted them, and before they knew what was happening, he pulled out a gun and pointed it at them. Sebastian pointed his gun back at him, and they were at a stand off.

"It all happened so fast." Finn said, as he nervously rubbed his hands together. "The guy fired his gun, and I saw Sebastian fly backward. I saw that he was hit, so I grabbed the gun from his hand and..." Finn paused, looking away from them to hide his guilt. "I shot him." He said glumly. "I killed him."

"Good for you." Blaine said bluntly. "If you didn't shoot him he probably would have shot you." He looked around at everyone else. "And probably the rest of us too. As far as i'm concerned, you're a hero...So, why the long face Finn?" He questioned.

Finn looked at him seriously. "Have you ever killed anyone Blaine?" He asked. "Have you ever taken a life? Because it doesn't really matter if they're a good guy or a bad guy. They were somebody's son, somebody's friend, maybe even somebody's father." He looked away again. "It's not a good feeling."

"I'm sorry Finn." Blaine said. "I didn't mean to be insensitive...I just don't think you should beat yourself up about it." He stood up to leave. "Just think of what that guy might have done to Rachel if he'd gotten the chance."

Finn knew Blaine was right, and the fact that their ordeal might not yet be over made him snap out of it and realize he still needed to protect Rachel, to protect them all. He picked up the gun from the table and put it in his pocket. At least now he knew he was capable of doing what had to be done, he just really hoped he wouldn't have to do it again.

Blaine went to the alley where Finn had told him they'd left the items they collected. He was glad to see there were some blankets. The temperature was dropping, and as he headed back to the diner, the snow started coming down heavy. It was going to be a long cold night for all of them, but he really couldn't think much about that as he stood in the kitchen unloading the food from the bag. All he really had on his mind was Kurt.

He knew what he'd asked Kurt was a mistake. He knew there was no way Kurt was just going to jump in his arms and declare his never ending love for him, although admittedly that's what he was hoping for. Kurt had a boyfriend, and there was just no way of getting around that fact. He winced at the thought of how stupid he must have sounded. Kurt must surely be thinking he's the biggest fool in the world for ever thinking he'd consider leaving Jason for him. He opened a can of hash and started eating, vowing to himself that he'd forget about Kurt Hummel and just concentrate on getting out...but as he sat alone and finished his meal, not thinking about Kurt was turning out to be a more difficult task than he'd hoped.

Jason and Rachel tended to Sebastian's wound, which turned out to be not much more than just a flesh wound. The bullet had just grazed his shoulder and went into the wall behind him. As Rachel went to get Sebastian some water, Jason tore up one of the sheets to wrap around his shoulder.

"You re really lucky you know" Jason said as he bandaged him up. "You could have been killed."

Sebastian huffed. "Huh, like you would've even cared Jason...like any of you would have. You all probably would have just thrown my body on top of the stranger with the bullet in his brain and had yourselves a little party."

Jason frowned. "That's not true Sebastian." He raised an eyebrow. "Well, at least on my part it's not." He added. He finished bandaging his shoulder and carefully put his shirt back on him. "Sebastian, why did you come back?" He asked curiously. "Finn said you saw the guys go into the diner. You knew how dangerous it would be...Why didn't you just take off and protect yourself?"

Sebastian groaned as he situated himself more comfortably against the wall. "Do you really think i'm that much of an asshole?" He asked, closing his eyes, hoping to forget the pain he was in. He was exhausted from their long day, and he could feel himself starting to drift off. "I wouldn't leave you Jason." He muffled, then went out like a light.

Jason wasn't the only one who heard Sebastian's strange response. Just around the corner, Blaine stood listening, purposely eaves dropping on their conversation. He knew that Sebastian had alluded to a possible thing between him and Jason, but he had passed it off as just more of Sebastian's egotistical banter. But now he was starting to wonder if there might be more to it, that maybe Jason wasn't the devoted, loyal boyfriend Kurt had made him out to be.

He walked out to the front of the diner where the others were watching the snow blanket the outside, like one solid sheet of white. They weren't kidding when they said a storm was coming, and as they sat and waited for news to come over the radio, they wondered if it was ever going to stop.


	16. Chapter 16

"It's fucking cold in here." Sebastian grumbled, trying to wrap the blanket around himself. "I could use a little help over here. I can't exactly use my left arm to cover up."

Blaine almost smiled at Sebastian's agony. No one deserved a shot in the arm more than him, and there was a certain gratification knowing the reason he'd gotten shot was because he froze, and the other guy didn't. That was two times now that Sebastian had mishandled the gun, and Blaine couldn't help but want to throw that in his face.

"Stop whining you little baby." Blaine said, sitting next to him, covering his shoulder for him. "It's just a little boo-boo...Unfortunately you'll live." He joked.

"Yeah well, it might just be a little boo-boo to you, but it hurts like hell." Sebastian huffed.

Blaine reached in his pocket and took out the bottle of pain killers he'd picked up for Kurt's thigh. He held them in front of Sebastian. "I bet these would make you feel a lot better." he said with a smirk.

"Fuck yeah!" Sebastian said, quickly reaching out for them.

"Not so fast." Blaine said, holding the bottle tight. "What are you willing to do to get what you want?" He asked with a grin.

Sebastian raised a brow. "I'm not really in the greatest shape to go at you hard right now Blaine." He said smiling, reaching over and rubbing Blaine's thigh. "But I could probably suck you off without a problem."

Blaine grunted out a laugh. "Yeah..That's never gonna happen slim." He pushed Sebastian's hand away. "I'd rather shoot my dick off than let you near it." He reached up and put his hand on Sebastian's sore shoulder, causing him to wince in pain. "No, what I want from you is information." He squeezed lightly and Sebastian let out a quiet yelp. "Tell me everything about you and Jason."

Sebastian chuckled through his pain. "Jason who?" He joked. Blaine squeezed a bit harder. "Okay, okay." He growled. "Take your hand off me and I'll tell you what you want to know."

Blaine did as he asked, almost wanting to squeeze one last time before letting go, just for the fun of it. "Are you and Jason involved with each other." He asked.

"Well, if 'involved' means fucking, then yes." Sebastian said, putting his hand on his shoulder, hoping to ease the pain. "We've been doing the nasty for a while now."

"So Jason's been cheating on Kurt this whole time?" Blaine asked.

Sebastian sighed. "Only in the bedroom...He's made it very clear that Kurt's the love of his life and nothing's going to change that."

"But you wish you could change that...don't you Sebastian?" Blaine asked, remembering how he had told Jason he would never leave him.

Sebastian's expression turned gloomy. "You can't force someone to love you." He said quietly.

Blaine was almost starting to feel sorry for him. It was the first time he'd seen any real human emotion come from Sebastian, and it was unexpected. He had thought that Sebastian would just spout out his usual insults and be done with it, but Blaine had underestimated his feelings for Jason.

"Do you love him?" Blaine asked, half expecting him to either burst out laughing or clobber him. But to Blaine's utter surprise he said something that Blaine never thought he'd hear come out of his mouth.

"I love him more than I've ever loved anyone in my life." Sebastian replied earnestly. "I would do anything for him."

Blaine's jaw dropped slightly in shock. He could hardly believe he was talking to the same guy that just minutes ago had offered to give him a blowjob. He shook his head in confusion. "Why didn't you just tell Kurt? He would've broken up with Jason and he'd be all yours." He asked.

He chuckled lightly "I didn't want Jason to just 'be mine'...I wanted him to love me as much as I love him." He shifted uncomfortably. "And like I said, you can't force someone to love you." He looked seriously at Blaine. "You can't tell Kurt that Jason cheated...Jason will know I told you and never speak to me again. Besides, all Jason has to do is deny it. You don't have any proof."

"I have you to back it up." Blaine said.

"I can't do that...I won't do that. Do you really think Kurt is going to believe anything I say anyways?" Sebastian said. "I've told you what you wanted to hear, now hand over the pills."

Blaine thought about it. Sebastian was right, just confronting Jason could blow up in his face. Kurt could actually believe he was just trying to make trouble between them to break them apart. He needed to figure out the best way to handle the information he'd been given. He cared about Kurt, and didn't want to just hurt him unless he had good reason. He needed to think before he acted. He handed a few of the pills to Sebastian, who swallowed them right down.

As everyone slept in the back, Blaine sat in the front, bundled up as best he could to shield the cold. He watched the snow continue to fall down in buckets. His eyes felt heavy as he went over and over the conversation he'd had with Sebastian. As he fell asleep he remembered Kurt walking away from him in the alley, choosing Jason over him. Maybe that's the way it should be, he thought sadly, as he drifted off.

* * *

_"You look cold" A voice said, waking him from his sleep. "Let me help warm you up." Kurt said, placing another sheet over him and cuddling up by his side. "Body heat is always the best way to keep warm." He whispered in his ear, crawling under the blanket and wrapping his arm around Blaine's waist, rubbing his hand gently up and down his side. "You're so cold Blaine. Put your body against mine to feel my warmth." Blaine did as he suggested, turning on his side to face him, pushing their bodies together to feel the heat. Instantly he felt the rush of electricity run through him, coursing through his veins and warming every inch of him. Kurt reached up and ran his fingers lightly over Blaine's lips, eyeing them deliciously. "Your lips are so cold Blaine." He whispered. "Let me warm them for you." He gently brushed their lips together, causing Blaine to gasp at the feel of him. Blaine reached up to caress Kurt's soft warm cheek, his fingers tingling as they ran along his jawline. This was everything he'd ever wanted, everything he'd ever dreamed of._

* * *

"Stop smiling in your sleep." Finn said as he sat next to him. Blaine bolted upright, pissed Finn had waken him from his blissful dream "It's creepy when people smile in their sleep." Finn added. "What were you dreaming about that could be that good anyways? All I had were nightmares."

Blaine wiped the sleep out of his eyes. "I don't remember." He lied. "It was probably something about food...I could really go for a burger and fries right now." He joked.

"Yeah well, unless this snow lets up we're probably going to be stuck eating tuna all day." Finn complained. "I think we should turn on the radio and see what they have to say."

They'd been careful not to run the radio too much, not wanting to run out of battery power. "Should we wait for the others to get up?" Blaine asked.

"No." Finn replied. "They were all pretty exhausted, they'll probably sleep for quite a while. Let's just see what the news is."

Blaine agreed, pushing the button and turning it on. They had to wait a few minutes before anything came through, then they heard a women reporter speak...

* * *

_**According to the NWS the city has accumulated a significant amount of snowfall already. They say the worst of the storm should be over by late afternoon, but of course,getting out and about will still be difficult. They are urging people to stay inside at least until tomorrow to allow officials and volunteers to clear some of the snow from the sidewalks. So far the mayor has stated that conditions in the city have improved, such as people finding shelter and food to sustain them through the quakes aftermath and the unexpected storm. The National Guard has begun their rescue efforts, but have been severely hindered by the storm. We will bring you more news as it comes in...stay safe New York.**_

* * *

Blaine turned it off, tossing it aside and closing his eyes. It would still be hours before they could make any decisions as to what their next move would be, so he leaned back in hope of falling back to sleep, of returning to his dream of just him and Kurt...Where the rest of the world didn't exist.

He didn't have the chance to revisit his heaven, before he heard a loud crash coming from the back of the diner. He and Finn jumped up and raced to the back. They stood in horror as they saw Rachel running out of the storage room and Kurt and Jason come from the tiny office they were sleeping in. They all stood, looking in disbelief at the ruble in the center of the kitchen. The already weakened ceiling had collapsed, probably from the weight of the snow. As bad as the sight was, they all knew it was only going to get worse once they started digging, trying to free Sebastian from the bottom of the pile.


	17. Chapter 17

They all started frantically moving things from the pile. The snow that coated everything made their hands burn from frost, but no one stopped. They knew they had to work fast to free Sebastian before he either suffocated or froze to death. The amount of material from the ceiling collapse was more than Kurt would have expected, as he and Jason moved a heavy piece of board. Jason gasped as they both looked down and saw Sebastian's legs. The look of fear and terror riddled Jason's face as he cried out.

"Sebastian...Are you alright?" Jason swallowed hard, praying for a response. There was none.

"Let's clear the rest away from him." Kurt said, trying to move some sheet rock and shingles from around Sebastian's body. "We have to hurry."

The others helped, and quickly they freed him. He lay motionless, eyes closed. "Oh my god he's dead." Jason cried. "He can't be dead...Please don't let him die...Please." Jason was near hysterics, Kurt reached over, rubbing his shoulder to calm him. They didn't want to believe they'd lost another one. Sebastian Smythe was an irritating, insulting cad, but none of them wished him dead.

Blaine looked down at the man that, before last night, he probably wouldn't have given much concern about. Seeing Sebastian's more vulnerable side as he talked about Jason had made Blaine soften toward him a bit, but not necessarily like him. He noticed something right away as he looked at Sebastian's body...his hand was shivering. Blaine caught his breath, the last thing he knew, dead bodies didn't shiver from the cold.

"Wait." Blaine said anxiously, bending down and checking for a pulse. "He's not dead...Quick, get me a blanket to cover him."

Jason bent down and grabbed Sebastian's hand. "Sebastian, wake up." He yelled. "Wake up...Please." His voice was shaky and full of emotion. "Don't die...You said you would never leave me."

Blaine covered him, checking his body for injuries as he did. There didn't appear to be any major injuries until he felt the side of his head. There was a large lump, but no bleeding. He slapped Sebastian's face, calling his name in an attempt to bring him out of it.

"Sebastian come on." Blaine said, almost demanding him to open his eyes. They were all ecstatic...when he finally did.

"Hmm" Sebastian mumbled as he slowly opened his eyes. The light coming through the opening in the ceiling was bright on him, and he squinted his eyes to focus. "What the fuck happened?" He asked angrily. They all laughed in relief, not surprised he'd wake with a concussion and still be his usual ornery self.

Jason was still holding his hand, though calmer now. "The fucking ceiling fell on your head and almost killed you." He explained. "I-I thought you were dead."

Sebastian chuckled. "Well, it looks like gods second attempt at striking me down has failed." He moaned in pain. "I can't wait to see what he has in store for me next."

"Let's get him moved to a safer place." Blaine said, looking up at the ceiling. "None of us should be under this roof." They carefully carried him out to the front of the diner as Finn bundled up to go out and inspect the rest of the roof. When he returned, he said the front looked pretty secure, but the back was in bad shape. The storm was just beginning to let up, and as they sat around trying to keep warm, They discussed how they were going to travel with a wounded Sebastian.

Jason stayed by Sebastian's side, changing the bandage that covered the gunshot wound, and helping him drink from his water bottle. Kurt noticed Jason's attempt at playing nursemaid, and it also hadn't gotten past him what Jason had said to Sebastian about 'never leaving him'. He, of course, knew that Sebastian was always trying to get at Jason, but now he was starting to wonder if he'd actually succeeded.

"I need to use the bathroom." Kurt said, grabbing the flashlight and heading that way.

"Wait." Finn said quickly. "It's dangerous...Jason go with him."

Jason looked up at Kurt, waiting for him to protest. "Yes Jason." Kurt said stoically. "I think you should come with me"

Jason looked back at Sebastian. "I'll be right back." He said quietly, then walked off with Kurt.

They stood quiet in the bathroom as Kurt did his business. He wanted to confront Jason. He wanted to ask him what the hell was going on between him and Sebastian, but he was also a little afraid of hearing what he might have to say. Deep down he felt he'd already known that Jason could have possibly cheated on him, but for a while now he'd chose to stay in denial. It was easier than facing the truth and dealing with the consequences it might bring.

He zipped up his pants and turned to him, looking him in the eye. "What's going on here Jason?" He asked with a shaky voice. "Is there something you should tell me?"

Jason looked down at the floor, not wanting to look into his boyfriend eyes when he confessed his sin. He knew he had no choice, Kurt deserved to know the truth, and after all this time, he needed to finally tell it. He swallowed hard and mustered the courage to look back up, his eyes focused on Kurt's, already begging for his forgiveness.

"I screwed up Kurt." Jason began. "I didn't mean for it to happen." He searched his mind for the words. "I...I never planned on being one of those guys." He swallowed hard again. "One of those guys that cheats on the man he loves...and I do love you, Kurt."

Kurt looked away, not wanting him to see the hurt in his eyes. He knew that Jason wasn't a bad guy, just someone who had let temptation overtake him. After what he'd experienced in the past couple of days with Blaine, Kurt felt as if he had no right to be that hard on him. He understood how easy it could be to let yourself stray, even if you know it's wrong. Still, it hurt hearing Jason confess. At one point in their relationship Kurt had really felt that Jason could be 'the one'. Although lately it hadn't been going well between them, Kurt found it hard to let go of that hope. Now, in a cold and dark bathroom with death and destruction all around him, he had no choice but to deal with the fact that it was over for them.

Kurt looked back up, needing to know just one more thing. "Are you in love with him?" He asked, already feeling like he knew the answer.

Jason stared blankly at Kurt for a moment, The question that was being asked was one that he himself had been asking for a while, never really able to answer it for sure. He too, had wanted his relationship with Kurt to work. He wanted Kurt to be 'the one', but when he saw Sebastian lying under the rubble, he knew. Despite Sebastian's horrible disposition and rudeness, he loved him. The thought that Sebastian had died tore his heart apart, and he felt at that moment he had lost his true love. There was no more denying it, to himself or anyone else...He was in love with Sebastian Smythe.

"Yes." He answered quietly. "I'm in love with him."

Kurt swallowed back his emotions. "Is he in love with you?" He asked.

Jason grunted. "It's Sebastian, Kurt. He doesn't love anyone. I don't even think he loves himself as much as he pretends to."

Kurt couldn't disagree. "I know I should be mad Jason, but the truth is...I understand. I just wish you would have been honest with me from the start...it would have hurt a lot less."

"You understand?' Jason questioned. "Does that mean that you..."

"No." Kurt interrupted. "I didn't cheat on you...not exactly anyways."

"But you thought about it...didn't you?" Jason asked. "You thought about it with Blaine."

Kurt looked at him, knowing he deserved the truth now that he'd confessed his betrayal. "Yes." He said sadly. "I thought about it, but when it came down to choosing, I walked away. I chose you...I chose us."

"Why?" Jason asked, looking at him with guilt. "I didn't deserve your loyalty."

"I didn't want to hurt you. I didn't want to lose you." Kurt said, stepping closer to him. "But now I know, you were never really mine to lose."

Jason was almost in tears. "Can you forgive me Kurt?" He asked. "I mean, I know we can't be together because of what I've done...but can you forgive me?"

Kurt sighed heavily. "I think maybe someday I'll forgive you, I just need some time."

Jason nodded. "Okay, but I just want you to know that I really am sorry." He walked away, knowing there was really nothing left for the two of them to say. They had emptied their conscience and now...they needed to move on.

Kurt took a moment to himself before returning to the others in the front. He knew he had to put it in the back of his mind so he could focus on simply surviving the hell they were still in. He collected himself and joined the others, who were reveling in the fact that the snow had finally stopped, and they could actually see a little sunshine.


	18. Chapter 18

"I think we should go." Finn said anxiously. "Between the shape the roof is in and the fact that we need more food, I don't see any reason to stay. If we move fast enough, we'll probably run into the National Guard along the way."

"You're forgetting one thing Finn." Rachel said. "There's no way Sebastian is going to be able to drudge through the snow in his condition." She looked over at Sebastian with concern. "I don't like the guy either, but we just can't leave him."

"No man left behind...Right Blaine?" Sebastian laughed out. "Isn't that what you said?"

Blaine looked at Finn. "We can take turns carrying him." He suggested. "It'll slow us down, but Rachel's right, we can't just leave him here." He turned to Sebastian, who was lying down on one of the tables. "But if he opens his mouth again, we can just throw him in a snowbank and pretend he's Frosty."

They all chuckled, even Sebastian couldn't hold back an amused grunt. "Isn't there like some horror movie about an evil snowman?" He asked. "I'd love to be an evil snowman."

They continued laughing, and Rachel wiped away tears that had ran down her cheek from laughing so hard. It felt good to laugh like that again, but they knew they had to settle down and come up with a plan.

"I'll stay here with him." Jason said, looking over at Sebastian. "There's no way he can make the trip with a concussion." He swallowed, then looked at Kurt. "The rest of you should go...Then bring back help."

Kurt looked down. He wanted to feel hurt and anger toward Jason, but he actually thought it noble for him to stay behind and take care of the man he says he loves.

"Jason's right." Kurt said. "We can make it to the National Guard quicker without Sebastian." He looked at Jason seriously. "Are you sure that's what you want to do? Are you sure want to stay with him."

Jason looked into Kurt's eyes. He knew that question had a lot more meaning behind it than anyone else knew, and his answer would seal any door that might have been left open between them.

"I'm sure." Jason said, putting an end to the discussion, and an official end to their relationship.

"Whoa...Wait a minute." Sebastian said, struggling to sit up. "Don't I get a say in this?" He put his hand to the lump on his head and winced. "I don't need a fucking babysitter Jason. You go with them...I can take care of myself."

"No you can't." Jason said firmly. "I'm staying and there's nothing you can do to stop me."

Sebastian looked at him in surprise. "Why would you possibly stay in this hell hole one minute longer than you'd have too?" He questioned. "You're acting like you're the one with a fucking head injury."

Kurt laughed. It was obvious Sebastian had no idea why Jason would stay behind. He was clueless of how Jason really felt about him, and he found the irony of it all almost hilarious.

Kurt walked over next to Sebastian, leaning down to whisper in his ear. "He's staying because he's in love with you, you stupid idiot."

Sebastian looked at him confused. "What are you talking about?" He grumbled. "We're just friends, that's all."

Kurt looked at Jason, who was nervously swaying back and forth, then he turned back to Sebastian. "Jason told me everything, so there's no sense in denying it. If you didn't already have a lump on your head I'd give you one myself for stealing my boyfriend." Kurt said, with just a bit of anger in his voice.

Sebastian glanced up at Jason. "You opened your big mouth didn't you?" He said. "Why'd you go and do a stupid thing like that?"

Blaine interjected. "Um..excuse me for butting in, but Jason wasn't the only one who opened their big mouth."

Kurt looked at Blaine curiously. "What do you mean?" He asked.

Blaine sighed and walked over to the other side of Sebastian. "Sebastian told me what was going on between the two of them...I kind of extorted it out of him."

"What...That story I told you? That was just a bunch of bullshit I said to get you to hand over the pills." Sebastian insisted.

Blaine looked at Sebastian and questioned. "So you didn't mean it when you said you were in love with Jason?"

Sebastian glanced over at Jason again, then nervously down at the floor. "I-I was in pain...that's all." He declared.

Jason walked over to him as Kurt and Blaine walked away. "It's true, isn't it Sebastian." He said quietly as he stood in front of him. "You're in love with me, aren't you...That's why you said you'd never leave me."

Sebastian swallowed hard, still looking down at the floor, not wanting to make eye contact in fear that Jason would be able to see exactly how he felt about him. "I wasn't in my right mind...I didn't mean it." He said harshly.

Jason smiled. "You love me Sebastian." He grabbed Sebastian's chin, forcing him to look at him, to look into his eyes. "And someday, you're gonna let your guard down and actually say it to me."

Sebastian didn't argue with him. "Whatever, Jason." He huffed. "If you're gonna stay and bother me, you might as well go to work getting me something to eat."

Jason just chuckled at him. "Whatever you say Sebastian." Then headed to the counter to get him a can of vegetables.

As Jason walked away, Kurt couldn't help but notice a spark that was in Sebastian's eyes that wasn't there before, almost making him look somewhat kinder and gentler. Maybe all Sebastian needed to lose some of his edge was someone to love him despite his flaws, and now that he'd found that someone, the world didn't look so dark and cruel anymore. He sighed heavy as he bundled up and readied to leave the diner, looking back one last time at them, truly hoping they'd find happiness with each other.

It was slightly warmer now that the snow had stopped and the wind had calmed. The four of them started out, optimistic and energized. They believed they were close to safety, and that soon their ordeal would be over. As they made their way, slowly trudging through drifts of snow, none of them knew that there were still things out there that could very easily threaten their numbers.


	19. Chapter 19

It was eeriely quiet as they made their way. They were disappointed that more of the snow hadn't been cleared, hardly any for that matter. They could barely believe how much snow had fallen in such a short period of time, and in some areas where the wind had made drifts, it went up to their knees. They kept their spirits up, confident they would run into the National Guard at any moment and be safe and warm again.

"This wouldn't be so bad if I were wearing boots." Rachel complained. "My feet are freezing."

"I know babe." Finn said, rubbing her back. "We'll stop soon to try and warm up."

They spotted a couple of people up ahead of them who were also tracking their way through the cold snow. "Excuse me." Finn yelled out to them. They turned around and stopped, waiting for them to catch up. Finn trotted over to them. "You wouldn't happen to know a safe place we could stop and get warm do you?" He asked.

The woman looked at the man she was with, who Finn assumed was her husband, then back to Finn. "We were just headed to a place a few blocks from here that has some food and water. It doesn't have heat, but they have blankets, and they've cleared a spot behind it to make a small fire if you can find what you need to make one.

Finn smiled. "That sounds great...Thank you very much."

They smiled back and started on their way again. "We'll see you there." The lady yelled back to them.

When they arrived they found a small store that was being used as a shelter. It was crowded and filthy, but none of them were about to complain when they were handed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, as well as a juice box. Kurt looked around sadly. There were so many children sitting cold and tired it nearly broke his heart. He knew it was possible that some of them had even lost a parent during the quake, or maybe even both.

"You all right?" Blaine asked as they sat in a corner eating their sandwiches. "You look so down."

"It's just this place." Kurt responded quietly. "Seeing all these people without homes, without heat...I just wish I could do something for them."

Blaine smile broadly. "Maybe there is." He said excitedly. He stood up and looked around the room full of sadness and despair, then grabbed a chair and climbed up on it. "A-hem...excuse me everyone, but my friend and I need to practice for a concert we're singing in. So if you don't mind, maybe all of you can listen and tell us how we're sounding...Maybe some of you who know the song might even want to join in." He smiled down at Kurt, who smiled back and jumped to his feet.

Blaine bent down and whispered in Kurt's ear. He gave a knowing nod and they both cleared their throat and began singing...

_"The sun'll come out tomorrow, bet your bottom dollar that the tomorrow, there'll be sun."_ The two of them belted out loudly, both smiling from ear to ear.

_"Just thinking about tomorrow, clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow, 'til there's none."_ They continued.

It wasn't long before most of the crowd were joyfully singing along with them, swaying and dancing to the words. Kurt looked around again, and this time he saw smiles and happiness on the faces of the children. He looked up at Blaine, who was singing so loud and strong he almost became part of the song. Kurt couldn't believe that despite everything that had happen to him in the past couple of days, because of Blaine Anderson, he was the happiest he'd ever been in his life.

_"Tomorrow, tomorrow, I'll love ya tomorrow! You're always a day away."_ The crowd cheered as they all screamed out the final line, leaving everyone with the enthusiastic hope that tomorrow would indeed be a better day for all.

"We're going out back to build a little fire to warm up before we leave." Finn said, motioning for them to follow. "Oh, and by the way Blaine...I'm not a big fan of that song." Finn grinned.

"How can you not like that song Finn?" Blaine joked. "What you got against the sun coming out tomorrow?"

"If we don't warm up soon, none of us is gonna see the sun tomorrow." Finn said as they walked out back and saw there were a few small fires burning. There were people huddled around them, and the atmosphere was a bit tense as people pushed their way to get as close to the warmth as they could.

"You fucking push me again bitch and I'll throw you right into the fire." They heard one man grunt.

Blaine could see the fear on Kurt's face. He reached over and grabbed his hand, entwining their fingers and gently squeezing. "It's gonna be fine." He whispered. "Just ignore everyone and let's get a fire started.

Kurt smiled, loving the feel of Blaine's hand in his, instantly comforting him and warming him before the fire was even built. They were able to get a small fire going, and they knew it wouldn't last long. They gathered around, warming their feet and hands the best they could. Rachel moaned in relief when she felt the heat hit her feet, closing her eyes and leaning back.

"You sound like you're having sex Rachel." Kurt chuckled.

She sighed. "Yeah well, this is even better than sex." She smiled and looked over at Finn. "But only a little better baby." She added.

The fire hadn't been going long before a group of people headed for it. They collected themselves and got ready to leave, knowing the fire would be stolen from them quickly. They backed away, gladly giving up there warmth before someone angrily forced them to. They had all warmed up enough to make the next leg of their journey a bit more comfortable.

They started off, bellies full and feet dry, at least for the moment. They could tell they didn't have much time before the sun would be setting, and they all hoped they would get to their destination without having to spend yet another cold and scary night in the city.

"Okay, I have no idea where we are" Finn admitted. "I've never been out this way, it barely even looks like the city anymore."

They all admitted they had no idea where they were. "I don't think it really matters." Blaine stated. "We just keep moving forward and we'll find our way."

They all shook their heads. "Sounds about right." Rachel said, smiling and grabbing Finn's hand, dragging him along.

Kurt and Blaine walked side by side, inching their way through the snow. "I'm not really used to the snow." Blaine said. "I grew up in California."

Kurt looked at him curiously, then smiled. "Have you every had a snowball fight?"

Blaine laughed, not knowing where Kurt was going with this conversation. "No, I've never had a snowball fight...but if I did, i'm sure I'd win."

Kurt looked at him seriously. "I don't think you understand Blaine...It takes a lot of practice to make the perfect snowball." He reached down and scooped up a handful of snow. "You can't just put snow in your hand and pack it into a ball like this..." He formed his hands around the snow to demonstrate. "You have to take your time to make it do what you want it to do."

"Really?" Blaine watched with interest. "And what exactly is it you want it to do?" He asked.

Kurt stepped back a couple feet and threw the snow at Blaine, hitting him in the arm. "You want it to hit it's target." He giggled.

Blaine grinned. "Oh, I see how it works." He grabbed a handful of snow. "But why even bother making a ball when you can throw the snow a lot faster by avoiding that step." He playfully threw it at Kurt, sprinkling his coat with snow.

Kurt scooped up another handful of snow and grinned. "You know Blaine, the rule is that once a snowball fight has begun, there's no stopping until a winner is declared."

Blaine stepped back and ducked as Kurt threw the snow. Most of it missed, and Kurt quickly grabbed more and started tossing it at him. "Okay Kurt." Blaine yelled. "It's on." He took both hands and loaded them, chasing after Kurt as he ran to avoid being hit. Blaine caught up with him, dumping the pile over his head as he tried to shield himself.

Kurt laughed. "Okay, now you're playing dirty." He picked up as much snow as he could and went after him, Blaine taunting him as he ran.

"You'll never catch me, you're to slow." But he was wrong. Kurt's longer legs made it easy to catch him, doing the same to Blaine as he'd done to him. Blaine went down on his knees when Kurt dumped the snow on his head.

Kurt laughed. "Declare me the winner and I won't do it again." He said.

Blaine looked up at him, knowing he was at a disadvantage being down on the ground. He quickly reached up and grabbed the sleeve on Kurt's coat, pulling him down along side him.

"Blaine!" Kurt cried. "That's not fair...You're not allowed to touch your target."

They sat in the snow facing each other, both a little breathless from their frolicking. Blaine looked closely at Kurt, his cheeks and nose rosy from the cold, his lips just slightly damp from the snow that had fallen on them. He wanted to reach up and run his fingers over them, to feel their softness and warm them, but his hands were much to cold for that. Blaine knew there was only one way to warm him, to warm both of them, and he gladly did what had to be done.

Kurt saw Blaine leaning in for the kiss and his heartbeat soared. He'd never wanted to kiss anyone as badly as he wanted to at that moment. Blaine's hot breath hitting his cold face seconds before their lips collided, sending shivers through him, both from warmth and passion. He closed his eyes and let Blaine take control, allowing his tongue in the instant it hit his lips. Blaine was a good kisser, and knew how to work it, easily moving his lips and tongue in just the right way to cause Kurt to inhale sharply and let out a soft moan, that now familiar electricity flowing between them as Blaine pressed harder and went deeper. They couldn't have broke from that kiss even if they'd wanted to, they were fused together as if they were two final pieces of a puzzle, joining together to complete the picture.

Blaine wanted desperately to touch him, to get as close to him as he possibly could. Without even consciously thinking about it, he nudged Kurt back, gently lying him down in the snow. Kurt didn't protest, so he continued kissing him passionately, snuggling against him as Kurt wrapped his arm around Blaine's neck, drawing him in even closer. Kurt twisted just enough for their bodies to become flush together. Blaine grabbed Kurt's waist and pressed firmly against him, their chests rising and falling in unison as they melted into each other. He could feel Kurt's hard erection up against his own stiffness and he trust slightly forward for more contact, wanting Kurt to feel how much he desired him.

Kurt felt their connection, and could feel the warmth despite the layers of clothing between them. He gasped when he felt Blaine's swollen length rub against him, breaking the kiss momentarily to catch his breath.

"Mmm" Blaine hummed against his lips. "You are so incredible Kurt." His breath was bated as he gently nibbled on Kurt's bottom lip, tugging at it playfully.

Kurt giggled as Blaine trailed his lips along his jawline, tickling the skin as he made his way down his neck. He stopped at the pulse point, sucking and licking harder as Kurt tilted his head to give him better access. "Mmm" Kurt sighed pleasingly, not wanting it to end, but knowing that it had to. "I think we should probably stop." He said disappointingly. "Not that I want to, but Finn and Rachel are probably wondering where we are."

Blaine sighed heavy, looking at Kurt and smiling. "We can stop." He said lovingly. "But you have to promise we can start where we left off as soon as this is all over."

Kurt grinned, lightly playing with the curls along Blaine's neck. "I don't think I'll have any problem keeping that promise."

Blaine gave him one last kiss then stood up, grabbing Kurt's hand to help him up. He scanned ahead, spotting Finn and Rachel in the distance. "We'd better run to catch up with them." He said excitedly. "I bet I can beat you there."

Kurt glanced over at him with a smirk. "Not with those short legs you won't." He laughed, sprinting before Blaine even had a chance to respond.

"That's cheating Kurt." He yelled out, chasing behind him. "You didn't say one, two, three go."

Kurt was a faster runner, and Blaine knew he had no chance of beating him. He looked to his left and notice a clear patch. He headed for it, thinking that if Kurt hit a drift it would slow him down as he took the shortcut that looked free of snow. It wasn't a perfect plan, but it was all he had. He darted quickly toward the patch, realizing to late that it was extremely slippery beneath his feet. He skated his way out further, just until he spotted Finn. He stopped to catch his breath before continuing, and that's when he heard glass breaking. He looked around confused, not sure where there was glass to be broken.

"Blaine." He heard Kurt yell from some distance behind him. He turned to see Kurt standing breathlessly, frantically waving his arms in the air at him. "Blaine, don't move." He was about to laugh at Kurt's attempt to slow him down, when he heard more glass breaking. It was closer and louder this time, and it finally started to occur to him what was going on. He looked down and saw the ice he was standing on. It was thin and cracking around him, threatening to give out and send him into the frigid water below. He looked back up at Kurt, fearful he would find him coming onto the ice after him. Luckily Finn had heard them and ran over to hold Kurt back from ending up in the same ominous predicament as Blaine was.

Blaine's mind was reeling as he heard the shattering sound again. Should he run towards them and pray he makes it off the ice before in caves, or should he stand still and.._.'and what?_" He thought to himself. _"Stand and what for rescuers to come and save him?'_ He knew that was never going to happen, so his choice was obvious. He took a deep breath and took a step forward.

The final break of the ice rang loud in his ear as he looked one last time to Kurt...then plunged deep into the freezing water.


	20. Chapter 20

_**A note to my readers: Thank you so much for sticking with me through this story. I've really enjoyed writing it, and **__**I hope you've enjoyed reading it. I just wanted to let you know that there will be one more chapter after this one, and **__**then the epilogue. I would have loved to go further with this story, but I feel our Klaine have gone through enough **__**for one fic. Thanks again!**_

* * *

The water was colder than he could have ever imagined, instantly stinginging his skin. He grabbed at the ice for support, but it kept breaking off everywhere he tried to grip. He was surprised how quickly his body started to weaken, losing all strength to even attempt to stay afloat. He took a deep breath as his head went under, knowing it could very well be his last. He struggled to get back to the surface, fighting with everything he had left in him. He wasn't willing to give up his life without a fight, especially now that he felt he had so much to live for. He knew he was fighting a losing battle, but he continued to push his legs and swing his arms with all his might.

Kurt saw the look in Blaine's eyes just before he was sucked into the icy water. He saw the fear and panic, but he also saw everything Blaine wanted him to see in that split second. He saw their future together, all the hopes and dreams filled with days of happiness and love. It was a beautiful image of the two of them, and both were determined to fight for it.

"Blaine!" Kurt cried as he watched him go down. Finn was holding him back, stopping him from going out on the ice, stopping him from getting to the man he loved. "Let me go Finn." He yell, struggling to free himself from his grip. Finn held tight, but Kurt wasn't going to let anything or anyone stop him. With all of his force he elbowed Finn in the gut. Finn bent over in pain, losing his grip enough for Kurt to escape and run toward Blaine. He ran fast, slipping and sliding the whole way. He knew there was a chance the ice would give out beneath his feet, leaving him to die in the same cold, dark water as Blaine, but it didn't matter. All he could think about was getting to him, praying he had what it would take to drag him out.

They say your life passes before your eyes when you die, and as Blaine was about to take the last breath he had in him, he wondered if that were true. With his eyes closed and his fist clenched, he waited for the movie of his life to flash before him, bit instead of seeing his past, he saw his future as Kurt's face appeared, pulling him up and out of the water. He gasped desperately for air as soon as his head hit the surface, too weak to even help Kurt get him onto the ice. He was amazed at Kurt's strength as he dragged him out, almost seeming to do it with nothing more than just sheer willpower. He felt the air hit his lungs and he coughed, gagging up water, forcing it out of him.

"Breath Blaine!...Breath!" Kurt shouted, hovering over him.

Blaine could see Kurt shaking from the cold and from fear. He cleared his head enough to realize that they weren't out of danger just yet. They were both still on the thin ice that threatened to break at any moment. He tried to move, but his body was frozen. Kurt was still bent over him as he finally caught his breath. "Get off the ice Kurt...Quick" He demanded.

Kurt looked into Blaine's eyes, he saw the man who had pulled him from the rubble after the quake, he saw the man who had done everything he could to protect and keep him safe throughout their ordeal. He had no doubt that Blaine would risk his life for him, and now it was time for Blaine to see that he would do the same. He grabbed Blaine's coat at the shoulders and started dragging him. He was tired and weak, but he wasn't going to give up. The ice cracked a bit more with every step he took, and though he wasn't a religious guy, he prayed. His muscles were tense and throbbing, and he feared they would just give out on him. He yanked one last time before collapsing at Blaine's head. They were so close, but every inch felt like a mile.

He was slowly working his way back up when he felt someone grab his shoulder. "Grab on to Blaine." Finn said anxiously. "You drag him and I'll drag you." Kurt did as he was told, relieved to have the help, but fearful that Finn would just end up being another victim of the thin ice beneath them. Finn's athletic build came in handy, as he easily dragged the two of them back to safety. He sat down on the ground, breathing heavy from the exertion. but elated they had made it. "We need to get Blaine somewhere warm and get him out of those clothes before he gets hypothermia." He panted out. "And we have to do it fast."

"We passed a building that looked kind of safe." Rachel said. "It's not that far back."

Finn nodded. "Okay. That's what we'll do." He stood up and looked down at Blaine, who was shivering and his color didn't look good. "I'm gonna have to carry you over my shoulder, Blaine." He said, bending down on one knee and grabbing Blaine's coat at the chest to raise him. He grunted as he tossed him over his shoulder and wobbled back to a standing position. "It's a good thing you're a small dude." He joked.

They made their way as fast as they could to the building Rachel had seen. They noticed there was a candle burning in the window, indicating it was occupied. They looked at each other, knowing they had no choice but to knock on the door and pray whoever was in there would let them in. Rachel rapped on the door. "Hello is anyone in there?" She asked.

They saw someone peek through the small pane of glass that was on the door. "What do you want?" They shouted nervously. "I don't have no food or water or heat...so go away."

"We just need a place to get out of the snow." Rachel said. "Our friend...he's hurt."

They didn't hear anything for a minute, and worried the person behind the door was just going to ignore them. Rachel was just about to suggest trying to find another place, when the door slowly opened.

"What's wrong with your friend?" The gray haired lady before them asked sharply. "Has he been shot or somethin'? I don't want no trouble here...I'm just an old lady that don't wanna get in nobody's business."

"No." Rachel proclaimed."He wasn't shot. He fell through some ice and we need to warm him up and get him dry." Rachel bit her lip, hoping the lady would let them in.

The lady sighed heavy. "Fine, but as soon as he's dry...you kids need to get out."

Rachel gave her a warm smile as they walked in. "Thank you so much. We really appreciate your hospitality."

"Yeah well, just do what you have to do fast and get out...That's all the thanks I need." The elderly lady said, slamming the door behind them.

"I hate to bother you, but is there a room we could take him to...and maybe a blanket we can cover him with?" Rachel asked, afraid the lady would just throw them out on the spot for even asking.

The lady frowned. "There's a spare room in the back with a bed...You can take him there." She sat down at the small table in the corner. "There's blankets in the closet." She glanced quickly at Blaine, still flopped over Finn's shoulder. "It looks like he's gonna need some clothes. There's some of my dead husband's clothes in the closet..They might be big on the little guy, but it's better than nothing."

Rachel smiled at the lady again as they headed to the spare room. She couldn't help but almost laugh at the cranky old woman's attempt at being mean, when she obviously cared about what happens to Blaine.

Finn laid Blaine on the floor, not wanting to get the woman's bed wet. Rachel went to the closet and took out two blankets, then rummaged through the dead man's clothes to find something warm for Blaine to wear. She handed the items to Kurt. "You get him changed and covered up." She said. "Finn and I have to go and figure out where to build a fire."

Kurt looked nervously down at the clothes she had handed him, realizing that he was going to have to strip naked his new found crush. He swallowed hard, but accepted the task. "As soon as we get a good fire going, Finn will come back to get him. If you get him dry and under the covers, he should start to feel better." Rachel said, then left with Finn.

Kurt quickly knelt down next to Blaine and began removing his clothing. Blaine was still shaking, but it seemed as if some of his color was already returning. "I'm sorry i'm not more help." Blaine said, voice shaky and low. "I'm so cold." He added.

Kurt warmly smiled at him. "It's okay Blaine. We'll get you dry and warm in no time." He continued removing his clothing, quickly pulling his shirt over his head. Under any other circumstances, Kurt would have wanted to take a moment to admire his finely toned chest, and maybe even run his fingers through the light patches of hair, but he shook off the urge and threw the shirt on him that Rachel had found. He unbutton his pants, feeling a bit awkward that he was about to see a part of Blaine that he would have rather waited for the right time to see. He didn't waste any time sliding the pants down along with the boxers. This wasn't the time to think about such things, he thought to himself, he needed to focus on getting Blaine warm. He threw the pants on quickly as Blaine did his best to maneuver his body to aid in the process.

"We need to get you to the bed and get you under the blankets." Kurt said. "Do you think you can hold on to me while I carry you over there?"

Blaine shook his head. "Y-Y-Yes." He said, still quivering from head to toe.

Kurt mustered himself and heaved Blaine up, practically dropping him on the bed. "Are you okay?" He asked, as Blaine let out a low moan.

"Y-Yes...just sore." Blaine replied.

Kurt positioned him on the bed and threw the blankets over him. He was just about to wrap him up tight when Blaine looked up at him. "B-Body heat." He said.

Kurt knew what he was referring to, everybody knows body heat is the best way to get warm. He raised an eyebrow as he looked at Blaine, and he could swear that even in his condition, Blaine was smirking. He quickly took off his shoes and coat and crawled in next to him, wrapping the blankets tightly around both of them, leaving them in their own little cocoon. Blaine's body was cold against his, and Kurt pressed firmly against him to share his heat. He put his arm around him, rubbing his back to both warm him and comfort him. Blaine's body reacted, slowly warming and calming, and his eyes fell shut.

"Blaine." Kurt whispered. "I don't think you should sleep right now...Not until I know for sure you're alright."

Blaine opened his eyes, looking directly into Kurt's. He managed to give a small smile as he guided his hand from under the covers and ran his fingers lightly over Kurt's lips. He remembered the kiss they'd shared just before all hell broke loose, and he shivered at the thought that it could have been their last. "Kiss me Kurt." He whispered, still looking in his eyes.

Kurt didn't hesitate, gently pressing his lips to Blaine's. He had to choke back the emotions that soared within him as he tenderly kissed the man of his dreams. No words could have expressed the delight he felt at that moment, and for the first time he truly believed they were going to make it through all this, and be better men for it. Knowing now that, what doesn't kill you, really does make you stronger.

"Kurt." Blaine said, breaking the kiss. "Did you like what you saw when you had me naked?"

Kurt blushed and chuckled. "I liked what I saw a lot." He replied, moving his hand to Blaine's chest and gently rubbing. "And as soon as you get your strength back...i'm pretty sure i'm gonna want to see that again."

Blaine grinned. "I think we should do it in front of a fireplace...That sounds nice and warm."

Kurt raised an eyebrow. "Actually that sounds really hot." He leaned in and kissed him again, but this time...there was a lot more tongue involved.


	21. Chapter 21

The sun had gone down and the wind was starting to pick up as Finn quickly tried to get a fire lit. "Hurry up Finn, i'm freezing." Rachel whined. He was doing his best but it just wasn't working. "Finn." She said anxiously, bending down next to him and grabbing his arm. "Finn, there's someone coming." He looked behind them and saw there were two lights approaching. He was pretty sure they were flashlights, but he couldn't see who was carrying them. He stood up and looked at Rachel. With all they had been through in the past couple of days, he wasn't taking any chances. He reached in his pocket and pulled out the gun. "Oh my god Finn, be careful with that." Rachel said, panic in her voice.

"Who's there?" Finn yelled out, trying to sound big and mean. There wasn't any response as the lights came closer. He pointed the gun in the direction of the lights and prepared to defend Rachel. He vowed he would get her to safety, and no one was going to get in the way of that. "Don't come any closer or I'll shoot." He yelled, still not able to see the intruders. They were getting closer and Finn's heart raced as he placed his finger firmly on the trigger.

"Whoa buddy..don't shoot." A man said, stepping into view. "We're here to help."

Finn lowered the gun and smiled. He had never seen such a welcome sight as the two men dressed in uniform that stood before him. Rachel squealed. "Oh my god, are you the National Guard?"

Both men smiled. "Well, we're not the whole National Guard, but we're a part of it."

Rachel couldn't contain her joy, running over and throwing her arms around one of the men. "I'm so happy to see you." She cried.

The surprised man gently hugged her back. "Wow." He chuckled. "We're happy to see you too...Is it just the two of you?"

"No." Finn said anxiously. "We have a couple of friends over in this building, and one of them is hurt...I think he might have hypothermia."

"Okay." one of the soldiers said. "You guys go and wait. We'll send medical over there as soon as we can...It shouldn't be long."

Rachel hugged the other guy. "Thank you. Thank you so much." She said, nearly in tears.

"No problem." He said, handing her a backpack. "There's some rations and water in there...Now go and relax until medical gets there."

Finn and Rachel were beside themselves with joy as they quickly informed the others about their rescuers. Blaine was doing much better already, and the rest of them ate and drank as they patiently waited for the medics to arrive. Once they got there, they checked Blaine out and determined that because they had quickly warmed him up, he had no hypothermia or frostbite. They gave them what they needed for one last night, telling them that the evacuation would begin in the morning. The old lady reluctantly agreed to let them stay, though Rachel was sure she was actually happy to have them there. Kurt told them about Jason and Sebastian back at the diner, and they said they would be going into that area soon.

They all looked at each other with a sense of assurance that it would all work out. They had no idea what the future held for them or for their beloved city, but somehow they felt that under the rubble and debris, lay a world waiting to be replenished. The spirit of those that had perished, and the ones left behind, would work side by side to bring back what was lost.

Kurt sat in a chair next to Blaine, who was now fast asleep. They had made it through the disaster, and even found each other out of all of it. He thought about Jason and Sebastian back at the diner, and prayed they would be alright until help reached them. Even they had come out of this for the better, learning that the truth will eventually set you free. He had seen the best and worst in people throughout the ordeal, and in the end, he believed that good overcame and won. If he ever had any doubt of that, all he had to do was look at the man lying in the bed next to him, his savior...his hero.


	22. Epilogue

_**Epilogue**_

"Don't pick at the h'orderves." Kurt said, lightly slapping Blaine's hand away from the tray. "We're having a big meal soon and you'll spoil your appetite."

Blaine chuckled. "Spoken like a true father...but remember Kurt, i'm not the child here, she is."

Kurt smiled as Blaine handed him their daughter. "I'm pretty sure little Emily is going to have better eating habits than daddy Blaine...Aren't you sweetie?" He said, as he tickled her belly. She giggled and grabbed his nose.

"Yeah well, as long as she doesn't snore like you she'll be fine." Blaine said with a smirk.

"Don't listen to him Emily...I don't snore." Kurt said playfully. Emily snorted, attempting to imitate his snoring. "Blaine! Did you teach her to do that?" Kurt asked angrily.

Blaine laughed as Emily continued to snort. "No, she learned it from listening to _you_ when you're napping on the couch...Didn't you Em?" She giggled again, then tried to grab Blaine's nose.

Kurt sighed. "Remind me again why I married you." He said with a grin.

Blaine looked warmly at Kurt, standing tall and even more handsome than he did four years ago when they'd met. His eyes still able to pierce through him and reach right down to his soul, his smile enough to make even his most wretched days seem so much brighter. The answer to his question was an easy one.

"Because I wouldn't take no for an answer." He said with a smile. Then leaned in and kissed him tenderly, as Emily continued to giggle.

"That's enough of that, you two." Rachel said, sneaking up behind them.

"Oh look Emily, it's Auntie Rachel." Kurt said.

Rachel held out her hands. "Give me that cutie right now." She demanded. Kurt handed her over and Rachel instantly started talking baby talk to her.

"Where's Finn?" Blaine asked, looking around to try and spot him.

"He's at the bar talking to Jason." She replied. She leaned in closer and whispered. "Can you believe those two are getting married? I mean, choosing Sebastian Smythe as a husband seems like a pretty insane decision on Jason's part...don't you think?"

"Well, they say you can't choose who you fall in love with." Kurt said. "I'll just be thankful it was Jason who fell for Sebastian and not me."

"Bite your tongue, Kurt Hummel-Anderson." Rachel quipped. "I would have disowned you if you ever let that happen. Besides.." She added smiling at Blaine. "We all know Blaine's the only man in the world you could ever really fall for."

"So, how does Finn like being a part of the National Guard?" Kurt asked.

"He loves it. He's never been more happy." She declared. "And now that he's going to be a father." She rubbed her hand over her swollen belly. "He just walks around with a huge smile on his face all the time." Emily started to fuss so she handed her back to Kurt. "So tell me guys..how's it going for you out in LA? We miss you so much...Tell me you're moving back to New York so our kids can grow up together."

"Sorry Rachel, but things are going great." Kurt said. "Did I tell you Blaine's album comes out next month?"

She smiled at Blaine excitedly. "I can't wait to hear it." She said.

"I can't wait either." Finn said, walking up to them. He gave Blaine his half crooked smile. "But if there's a song about the sun coming out tomorrow on it, i'm gonna have to give it a thumbs down."

They all laughed, including Emily who decided it would be funny to snort when she'd finished laughing, which made everyone laugh even harder, except Kurt who just rolled his eyes and told her not to do that again.

"Well, would you look at this mangy group of nobody's that decided to attend my nuptials." Sebastian said with a smirk.

"Look everybody." Blaine said. "It's one of the grooms, and he's just as cocky and arrogant as ever." Blaine patted him on the back. "It's nice to see some things never change."

Sebastian smirked. "Okay, first...hands off the suit, and second..." He put his hands over Emily's ears and whispered. "Stop mentioning my cock in front of the ladies."

"Alright."Kurt huffed. "Get your paws off my daughter, I need to go change her diaper...Oh, and Sebastian.." He said as he walked away. "Congratulations."

"There you are." Jason said, running over to Sebastian. "I've been looking all over for you...It's almost time."

Sebastian sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I know... I still have a few minutes to back out of this farce of a wedding don't I?" He joked.

Jason wasn't amused. "You can try to run, but I'll hunt you down and get you to the altar kicking and screaming if I have to."

Sebastian's look softened. "Jason, if I took off you'd never find me...Remember we talked about this." He looked lovingly into Jason's eyes. "Because without you, I'd be lost forever."

Blaine smiled, happy to see the two of them had found a way to bring out the best in each other. He was about to walk away to help Kurt with their daughter, but Sebastian stopped him.

"You know, traditionally at a wedding you're supposed to give the happy couple a gift." Sebastian said, reaching into his jacket and pulling out an envelope. "But Jason here insisted we give you one instead."

Blaine took the envelope, confused as to why they would give him anything. He opened it up to find something he never would have guessed Sebastian capable of giving.

"As you know." Sebastian said. "Jason and I brought that crappy old diner and turned it into a computer store, and it's been very lucrative for us." He cleared his throat then continued. "So we wanted to do this for the one who didn't make it."

Blaine looked down at the paper again. At the top of the paper in big bold letters it read...

**The Wes Montgomery Scholarship Fund**

Blaine was speechless. He often though about Wes through the years. The brave, kind man who had played such a big role in saving them all. They even gave Emily his name as her middle name in honor of him. They had all vowed not to let his death be in vain, and now Sebastian and Jason were doing their part to make sure it wasn't.

"Thank you." Blaine said earnestly. "This really means a lot."

"Yeah well.." Sebastian said, obviously uncomfortable with the sentiment. "So tell me Blaine.." He leaned in and whispered. "Is Kurt as wild in the sack as I imagine him to be?"

Blaine grinned. "You should ask the man your about to marry...He would know."

Sebastian looked at Jason, then back at Blaine. "You know, you would think that would work, but every time I ask, he just throws a sissy fit and refuses to answer."

"Okay, that's enough pretending to be a badass." Jason said, grabbing his arm and leading him away. "It's time for our 'I do's'."

Kurt returned with Emily wearily resting her head on his shoulder. Blaine put his arm around him as they followed the others to the next room for the ceremony. He looked at Kurt, holding their beautiful daughter and thought to himself_...'I'm the luckiest man in the world. I found the love of my life, my savior...my hero'._


End file.
